Betty M. Carnahan's Obituary
Betty M. Carnahan passed peacefully on July 2, 2026, in Lewes, Delaware, just 11 weeks after a joyful celebration of her 99th birthday. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1927 to Herbert and Anna Hickman, she gracefully balanced the roles of family, career, and community service throughout her life.
Betty’s hallmark attributes of optimism, humor, resilience, and perhaps some stubbornness, developed in her formative years during the Great Depression. After graduating high school in 1945, she took night classes at the University of Baltimore to earn a certificate in business and began her first job with the Baltimore telephone company. Betty dabbled in work as a model. At 5’3” she was too short to walk the runway, but she was a photogenic model for hats and gloves! Always fun-loving and glad to share a laugh, she’d strike funny poses in pictures and always had a smile for everyone.
On a double date, she met the love of her life – Robert (Bob) L. Carnahan. They were married in Wilmington, DE, in 1953 and were together for almost 63 years until he passed away in 2016.
As young mother in Wethersfield, CT, Betty worked with the Parent-Teacher Association, fiercely advocating for quality education for all children. Active in non-partisan politics with the League of Women Voters, she stood up for what she believed in, supporting civil rights and boycotting products in solidarity with California farm workers in the early 1970s. And, of course, Betty was a dedicated Scout leader for her three children: Mike, Beth, and David!
The late 70s and 80s were spent in Rockville, MD, where they found what would become lifelong friends in both church and choral groups. They also enjoyed sailing on the Chesapeake Bay with family, entertaining friends, and traveling internationally together. Betty returned to work as an executive assistant at the American Red Cross headquarters, taking great pride in her role organizing several early AIDs awareness conferences.
After retiring in 1990, Bob and Betty moved to the southern Delaware coast, where Betty volunteered with Read Aloud Delaware and the Lewes Historical Society (when not taking grandchildren to the beach). As a coordinator with the Lewes-based Osher Institute of Lifelong Learning, she welcomed students from across the nation, giving each a small bag of sand from Cape Henlopen to recall their time there.
Music brought her great joy. Both Bob and Betty sang in various masterworks choruses and church choirs throughout their lives. With an extensive vocal range, she could sing multiple parts - even tenor if needed! Betty was a loyal member of the choir and congregation at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Rehoboth. After many years as a church member, she was pleased to lead the committee that researched and wrote the 75th anniversary history of the church.
Betty’s most important roles were wife to Bob and mother (and grandmother) – to her family and to those who might want an extra mom. She raised her children to be confident and compassionate, and there was always a welcoming place for anyone, either at the table or in a spare bedroom. A close family friend said, “If I didn’t have my own mother, I’d want her to be mine.”
After Bob passed, Betty lived alone for a number of years, admitting that living alone took courage but saying, “You can’t keep an old girl down! Especially if she is having too much fun just being alive!” In 2022 she moved to the Moorings in Lewes where she joined their choir and enjoyed new friendships. The family extends heartfelt appreciation to the Moorings staff, medical team, and companions who cared for her so affectionately.
Betty is survived by her eldest son Mike and wife Judy, granddaughter Jenny and great-granddaughter Kyleigh, all of Ventura, CA; daughter Beth and husband Jim O’Sullivan of Houston, TX; granddaughter Katie and grandson Bryan, both of Boston, MA; and youngest son David, wife Virginia, and grandson Jack, of Needham, MA.
A celebration of a life well and fully lived will be held on August 22 at 10:30 AM at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Rehoboth, DE, with a reception following. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make memorial contributions may consider a donation to Westminster Presbyterian Church https://www.westminster-rehoboth.org/ or the American Red Cross https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation.html/.
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