Obituary of Elizabeth Anne Darling

Elizabeth (Betsy) Anne Darling passed away on September 5th, 2024 at Kingsway Nursing Home in Schenectady, NY, aged 89. She remained cheerful and sometimes sassy through her gradual decline from Alzheimer's. She was raised on The McElhinny Farm, a chicken, egg and sweet corn farm in Evans City (famous for being the filming site of The Night of the Living Dead, filmed on land that later was added on to the McElhinny Farm), outside of Pittsburgh, PA. She was a middle child in a family of 12 kids, "sixth from the top and sixth from the bottom," where she was granted the nickname Gert. She went to the Stamm School, a one-room schoolhouse through 8th grade, where they walked 1-1/4 miles each way. If they didn't return the same way they cut through a field by "tromping through veggies and dealing with the 'cross' bull in Jonesey's Field." She graduated from Evans City High School in 1952 and later studied to be an RN at Mercy School of Nursing in Pittsburgh, graduating in 1955, where she met Roy G. Darling, DDS. They married in 1957 and were married for 60 years. She has been widowed since 2017. Immediately after the wedding ceremony, they began their travels. They lived in Japan for 2 years while Roy was stationed as a Navy dentist. They were next stationed in Alaska from 1960 to 1963. Mom was busy raising her sons Alan and Cary on the army base, periodically with moose walking through their backyard on the base, and delivered her daughter Cathlin in late October of 1962 as evacuation plans were about to go into place on the base due to the Cuban Missile Crisis. She learned how to ski during evenings while in Anchorage. They would fish and travel around Alaska in a truck camper, viewing wildlife and the beautiful scenery. They settled in the Schenectady area in 1963, where she lived for the rest of her life. After her children were grown, she worked as a Realtor for Welbourne and Purdy. After retirement, she and Roy continued their travels, often for free on military aircraft to many places around the world, including trips to Europe, South America and even peering across the DMZ from South Korea. She was an active participant in Tennis Group, Schenectady Tennis Association, Sportime Tennis, and Mohawk River Golf League. She enjoyed visiting her children and grandchildren and family, travel, the outdoors, golf, tennis, gardening, everything, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, their house on Galway Lake, visiting their many friends, traveling with friends to Europe and Hawaii, taking occasional college classes, creating art, visiting museums among many other interests. As kids, both of our parents taught us to appreciate travel and being outdoors. She is survived by her children, Alan Darling of South Newfane, VT, Cary Darling of Missoula, MT, Cathlin Darling-Owen (Doug) of Dummerston, VT, Lisa Darling of Woodstock, VT. Grandchildren, Luke Darling (Gia) of Brattleboro, VT, Collin Owen of Greenville, SC, Genevieve Darling of Reno, NV, and Kiley Owen of Dummerston, VT. She was predeceased by her beloved granddaughter, Michelle Darling. She is also survived by her siblings Jerry "Mulligan" (Marilynn) of Evans City and Pat "Egghead" (William) Hughes of Seaford, DE. She is also predeceased by her parents, Paul and Elizabeth Hutchinson McElhinny, her siblings, Paul "Spike", Belle "Fatty", Nancy "Dink", Rue "Nick", Sam, Ron "Bones", Zeno "Airb", Dan "Dood", John "Twerp" and the McElhinny Family dogs Big Dog and Little Dog. Services will be held from 2-4pm, Saturday, September 14 at Daly Funeral Home, 242 McClellan Street, Schenectady, NY.