Elizabeth Ann Lehr

PEABODY - Elizabeth “Betty” (Durkee) Lehr, 102, of Peabody, passed away peacefully on October 7, surrounded by her loving family at her home in Brooksby Village.

Born in Milton, she was the daughter of the late Melvin and Elizabeth (Bentley) Durkee. Betty shared 55 wonderful years with her beloved husband, Carlton G. Lehr, who preceded her in death.

Betty and her husband Carl both grew up in Belmont and were married in Belmont in 1947. They bought a house in Waltham a year later and lived there happily for ten years. They welcomed three daughters, Janet, Judith (twins) and Betsy. They also acquired, in time, seven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

In 1958 they bought a larger home in Lexington because of the need for more space. During her children’s school years, Betty did volunteer work. For five years, at the time of the Bicentennial in 1975, she worked part-time for the Lexington Historical Society as a paid Tour Guide at the historic Buckman Tavern in Lexington Center.

The family attended Lexington United Methodist Church (LUMC) where she served as Lay Leader for ten years. She also wrote a 21-page history of LUMC for its 50th Anniversary Celebration, with the help of dear friend, Smoki Fraser. Betty worked for ten years at MIT/Lincoln Laboratory at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, MA.

After she and Carl retired, they traveled extensively with long-time friends, Jean and Bill Santelmann, who also later moved to Brooksby. Betty and Carl totally enjoyed visiting Russia, Finland, Israel, Jordon, Egypt, Turkey, Poland, Slovakia, Holland, Hungary, Wales, Scotland, England, France, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii, Spain, the Canadian Rockies, Greece, China and Hong Kong, during a 10-year period following their retirements.

In October 2002 Carl died, suddenly and unexpectedly, of cardiac arrest; thus ending 55 years of a happy marriage. Betty moved from Lexington to Brooksby Village in Peabody in 2004, two years after Carl’s death.

Soon after moving in, she and a Brooksby friend started a club for women who were newcomers to their new building, Liberty Place. This club gave those new residents an opportunity to meet people and make new friends. It was a big success. She enjoyed the varied life at Brooksby; trips, interesting programs, the Protestant Faith Community, and Betty made many new friends. One of these new friends was Jim Silva, whose wife, Dot, had died recently. Betty enjoyed playing ping-pong in the table tennis group, which Jim managed. Both Betty and Jim had been asked to serve on several church committees, plus a search committee, and they discovered that they shared many of the same interests. They also found that they enjoyed being together; and their friendship gradually deepened into a closer relationship. Betty enjoyed a wonderful, long life with her family and her many friends.

Betty is survived by her three daughters, Janet Ramirez, Judith Massman and her husband Gordon, and Betsy Singelais and her husband, Barry; seven grandchildren, Danielle, Brendan, Suzanne, Colin, Andrew, Allison and Jacqueline; seven great-grandchildren, Frances, Sadie, Noa, Ori, Camille, Wyatt, and Julian.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Carlton Lehr; her dear friend Jim Silva; her son-in-law Anthony Ramirez; her sister Ruth Jones, and her brother Reverend Robert Durkee.

ARRANGEMENTS: A funeral service will be held at Brooksby Village Chapel, Brooksby Village Drive, Peabody on Saturday, October 24th at 10:00 AM. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. The burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to Doctors Without Borders https://give.doctorswithoutborders.org or Smile Train www.smiletrain.org. Arrangements by O’Donnell Cremations – Funerals – Celebrations, 167 Maple Street, Danvers. To share a memory or offer a condolence please visit www.odonnellfuneralservice.com.