| Notes |
- Concord Monitor, 12 January 2010
Elizabeth Bassett Samaha (Picture included)
Elizabeth (Bette) Bassett Samaha of Concord died Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010, after a
very short illness. Her final days were spent at home surrounded by family and
friends.
Bette was born May 22, 1920, in Brooklyn, N.Y., into the old Connecticut
families of Ruth Stone and William Bassett. She was raised in Connecticut.
As a Daughter of the American Revolution, she attended the University of New
Hampshire, where she met her future husband, Emile Samaha. Shortly after Emile
joined the service in 1941, she traveled to California, where they married in
a secret ceremony before Emile was deployed to the Pacific.
During the war years, when her husband was stationed overseas, she completed
college. Her professional career included a stint on Wall Street working at
the New York Stock Exchange and on Broadway working for ASCAP, the American
Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. When her husband returned from
the war, they lived in Durham while he finished college. They lived in
Cambridge, Mass., from 1947 to 1954, where she gave birth to four children and
worked full time supporting the family while her husband was in dental school.
In 1954, she and her family moved to Concord, where she spent the rest of her
life.
Bette was a remarkable, loving woman who took pleasure in activities th
enriched her daily life. She enjoyed reading and had a lasting affection for
Shakespeare and poetry. When hampered by macular degenerative disease, she
continued to listen to books on tape. She was a talented cook and prepared
many of the family's most memorable meals. Through her joy of traveling, she
was able to experience many different cultures. No matter where she went, her
warmth and genuine personality gave her the ability to relate to everyone she
met. Gardening was a passionate hobby of hers, and she was a long standing
member of the Concord Garden Club.
Throughout her life, Bette was a wonderful and strong presence around which
her family loved to gather. Her positive attitude and way of living served as
an inspiration to her children and grandchildren. Those who loved her will
remember her independence and confidence, as well as her warmth, generosity
and intelligence. She will be greatly missed.
Bette was predeceased by her husband, Emile, in 1979; and a grandson, David,
in 1994.
She is survived by her daughter, Houda, and son-in-law, Joel Feingold; her
sons, Peter, and daughter-in-law, Debra, Timothy and daughter-in-law,
Margaret, and Jon Samaha; seven grandchildren, Matthew, Kevin, Stacey, Emily,
Sara, Whitney and Madeline; and her brother, Anthony Bassett of St. Louis.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the hospice program of
the Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association.
A private graveside service will be held.
A celebration of her life will be held in the spring. The date is to be
determined.
|
Bassett Family Association Database
1920 - 2010 (89 years)