Our Sympathy to the family of Elizabeth “Betty” Cassidy.

We are saddened to report the passing on August 1 of long-time Board member and friend to many of us, Betty Cassidy. The loss of Betty on our Board of Directors leaves a void that will be impossible to fill. She served on the Board for more than ten years as Chairperson (extraordinaire) of the Nathaniel Felton Jr. House. During that time, Betty became an expert on the history and genealogy of the Felton family. She was a valuable resource when questions arose regarding the Felton family history. Though born in Beverly, Betty lived most of her life in Peabody during which time she grew to love the city. Local history became her passion and specialty. She developed an avid interest in preserving Peabody’s old graveyards and on Memorial Day she planted American flags at the graves of veterans buried in the city’s historical burying grounds. She co-founded the Peabody Historic Graveyard Coalition, thereby drawing attention to the history contained in Peabody’s old graveyards. This editor spent many hours in her company tramping through old graveyards no matter what the season checking out gravestones, often oohing and ahhing over various inscriptions. More than thirty years ago, Betty was active in the successful fight to save Brooksby Farm from developers.

In 2002 Betty was the proud recipient of the Peabody Historical Commission’s Eleanor Frothingham Smith Award for historical preservation in Peabody. A wise counselor, Betty’s opinion on historical matters was often sought out and carefully considered. Slender of frame, gentle but stubborn, Betty was fiercely protective of the Felton Jr. House. We can best honor Betty’s memory by continuing her ardent desire to ‘do things right’ when it comes to work on our historic houses. We will forever miss Betty’s ready laughter and her quiet presence in our lives and in the life of the Historical Society.