Betsy Schultz
December 19, 1954 – March 2, 2026
Betsy Alden Klitch was born in Greenville, Mississippi, on December 19,1954, to Leroy and Janet Klitch. Her middle name, Alden, honored her Mayflower ancestry on her mother’s side. In 1956, the family moved to Old Town, Maine. Betsy excelled academically, becoming a member of the National Honor Society and later Valedictorian of Old Town High School in 1973. Betsy went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Food and Nutrition from the University of Maine. Resourceful and determined, she grew up making the most of what she had, helping her mom with the family daycare, her dads bird-hunting dogs ever present in childhood led to a life full of dogs. She also enjoyed adventures on the water in canoes and sailboats, her brother Tim remembered near-mishaps at sea, but Betsy became a skilled sailor who loved navigating the beautiful Maine coast.
As a teenager, Betsy had two horses, for which she built a barn and horse trailer with her dad from repurposed materials. She sometimes had to corral an escaped horse with the help of her parents from a nearby freeway. Betsy used a horse-drawn sleigh in the winter, a carriage in the summer, and enjoyed riding both bareback and English saddle. She also took on the less glamorous chores like hauling buckets of water in winter and cleaning stables, but her love of horses endured. This love led to several other horses over the years, and friends to ride with when not having her own.
A saying that Betsy proudly lived by, that started with her New England Upbringing: Make Do, Do without, Use it Up, Wear it Out.
Even though Betsy never pursued a professional career in Nutrition, she kept nutrition at the forefront of her mind her entire life. Her family can attest that she was always sharing advice and recipes. She would often encourage healthy lifestyle choices and was full of suggestions on how to modify any recipe to include healthier options.
She and Santiago Lavin were married from 1974 thru 1990 Moving to Oregon shortly after being married in Maine, They worked for the Forest Service Betsy talked of times spent in the woods often on steep slopes replanting trees, then time spent in the office. Betsy bought a horse and folks involved in that chapter of her life would stay friends for the next 30 years often sharing rides. Alden was born in 1982 in Oregon, Nelson in Alaska in 1984. Eventually they settled on Lake Tapps in Washington State. Betsy ran a day care out of their house The couple eventually divorced but remained connected through their shared love and dedication to their children.
When she met and married Dave Schultz in 1992, they added onto and renovated his home that sat on 3 acres. Over the years 5 Llamas, 2 sheep, an occasional borrowed horse, numerous chickens, ducks and other critters lived in the pasture. 5 huge raised bed vegetable gardens walled with 2 plus man sized rocks expertly positioned by Betsy provided abundant crops. A small fruit tree orchard, blueberry bushes, raspberries and more filled the barnyard side of the property. The house was surrounded by plants of all sizes with a focus on drought tolerance. So much bark mulch was brought in over the years the once rocky soil turned into a rich deep top soil.
A lot of winter weekends were spent at the Mountaineers Meany Lodge, learning to ski, snow board, and helping run the lodge and ski slope. Lots of vacations back to Maine off to Hawaii, the Canadian Rockies, Costa Rica to name a few. As the kids got older Betsy went to work at Foothills Elementary as a Computer support tech, the teachers loved her. That really showed when she was diagnosed with MCL lymphoma in 2008, she went through a stem cell transplant at that time the love from the teachers and friends was overwhelming. We knew at that time that MCL was incurable and are thankful for the great cancer free years. Betsy retired in 2013, Dave in 2015.
Moving to Gig Harbor in 2018 they found a lovely home on 1 acre at the end of the road on a hill surrounded by forest some of the Cedars over 100 years old a green belt below the property that eventually connects to Carr inlet several miles away. Nestled at the bottom of the property was a spacious art studio. They upfitted a Van and traveled about the Western states. Betsy would gleefully invite friends, family, and members of the art community to her art studio in the woods. The fellowship and collaboration energized her. A handful of Betsy’s friends began meeting routinely at the studio and soon became aware of their special bond. They began calling themselves The Soul Sisters and gave each other tremendous support.
Betsy became a Master Gardener in the 90’s and spent 4 decades learning through the continuing education programs and all the wonderful people she encountered. She wrote a drought tolerant database early on. She was often helping at the information booth at the Puyallup Fair, in Gig Harbor, at the spring Plant Sale, helping out at the Sehmel and Puyallup Gardens. If someone asked her a question she did not know the answer to she would figure it out and back to them. She was honored to be involved in the first Master Gardener Program in the country.
She spent much of her life caring for others and was always ready to lend a helping hand to anyone who needed it. She was truly a people person, someone who made friends easily and welcomed others with warmth, humor, and genuine interest in their lives. She will be remembered for her lively spirit, her positive outlook, her take charge attitude and always doing her best.
Betsy is survived by her husband, David Schultz; son Nelson Lavin; his wife, Alia Lavin; and her daughter-in-law, Alicia Lavin. Her brother, Timothy Klitch, with his wife Margie and their family. Betsy was predeceased by her parents and her beloved firstborn son, Alden Lavin.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Betsy K and David S Schultz Family Endowed Fund at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Contributions may be made online at https://secure.fredhutch.org/goto/betsykschultz.