Elizabeth 'Betty' Pettigrass

Elizabeth Pettigrass (“Betty”), age 98, passed away on June 12, 2021, at Morningside of Alpharetta. Born in 1922 in Bath, NY, she was the daughter of J. Melvin and Emma Hayward Garrison Moore. Betty graduated from Haverling High School in Bath in 1939. In 1944, she went on to graduate from Charles S. Wilson School of Nursing in Johnson City, NY, with her license as a registered nurse. She was employed at Davenport Hospital in Bath before entering the U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Nurse in the Army Nurse Corps at Camp Swift Regional Hospital in Austin, TX.

   In 1946, Betty worked at Mercy Hospital in Auburn, NY, and married Peter Michael Pettigrass the same year. She was also employed at Mercy Rehabilitation Center. When the family moved to Dunedin, FL, in 1977, she worked as a charge nurse at the Spanish Gardens Nursing and Convalescent Center. In her later years, she was a staff nurse at Auburn Memorial Hospital. 

   Betty was always caring, positive and lived her life with dignity “one day at a time,” infusing her moments with humor, a wink and a smile. She was selfless, compassionate, always putting others first and herself last. She loved spending time with her family and friends, shopping, eating good foods, travelling, and creating a variety of knitted and crocheted items, as well as other crafts. She was active in the Cayuga County Home Bureau, the former Sons of Italy Lodge, the Italian Heritage Society, and the “Knit Witz”, an organization which donates homemade items to charities. She was also a communicant of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

   Predeceased by her brother, Richard D. Moore, and husband Peter, Betty’s survivors include:  son Theodore (Lesia) Pettigrass of Latham, NY; daughter Doreen (Richard) Janis of Alpharetta, GA; four grandchildren--Valerie (Ryon) Hallman of Latham, NY; Vicki (Jamie) Bacheller of Natick, MA; Kendall Janis of New York City; and Lauren Janis of Roswell, GA; one great-granddaughter, Jacqueline (Jon) Plunkett of Boynton Beach, FL; two great-grandsons, Griffin and Dylan Bacheller; one niece, Charlene (Chuck) Leon of Suffolk, VA; and one nephew, Richard S. (Chris) Moore of Yorktown, VA; one great-niece and great-nephew, Michelle and MIchael Moore, as well as a host of other relatives and friends.

   Family and friends are invited for a calling hour this Friday, June 18th from 10:00 to 11:00 am in St. Mary's Church, with her Mass of Christian burial to immediately follow at 11:00 am. Interment will be in St. Joseph's Cemetery.

   In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Betty’s name to:  Agape Hospice Foundation, P.O. Box 801087, Acworth, GA 30101; the John’s Creek Veteran’s Association (http:www.jcvets.org) and St. Mary’s Food Pantry. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Elizabeth 'Betty' Pettigrass, please visit our floral store.