Bettye Jane (Chappelear) McLaughlin, 92, devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. Bettye McLaughlin formerly of Westford Massachusetts and Lexington Massachusetts died peacefully on August 23, 2019. She was predeceased by her beloved husband of more than 50 years, Edward F. McLaughlin Jr. (of Woonsocket, RI). Bettye leaves behind her sons Edward (of Bayport, NY), William (of Maynard, MA) and Richard (of Littleton, MA); daughters-in-law Melinda, PattiAnn, and Susan; grandchildren, Tara, Brianne, Eddie, Matthew, Marya, Caitlyn and Alex as well as 6 great-grandchildren.

Born October 9, 1926 in Washington D.C., she was the daughter of William Adrian Chappelear and Jessie Vernon (Cockrane) Chappelear. She was predeceased by her brothers James Adrian Chappelear, Vernon Cockrane Chappelear, and sister Adrienne (Chappelear) Ballute. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, with an ancestor who fought in the American Revolutionary War as a member of the St. Mary’s County Militia in Maryland. As a child between the ages of 3 to 5 she was chosen to perform on the local radio station, because, in her own words, “they liked me because I could remember the words and carry a tune.” She was a talented tap dancer, winning Rena’s School of Dance competition in 1937. As a teenager she worked as a typist in the Department of Defense during World War II, and later worked for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which would later become the Central Intelligence Agency, reading maps due to her fluency in French and Spanish. Always a trailblazer, Bettye was the first person in her family to go to college. She attended Penn State University, became a member of Chi Omega sorority and graduated in 1948. It was while she was attending Penn State that a friend arranged a blind date following the 1946 Army-Navy game in Philadelphia where she met Edward F. McLaughlin Jr. whom she would wed on October 8, 1949.

Her husband Edward, after serving in the Navy, started working for the Raytheon Company in southern California in 1951. While there they had three sons, Edward, William and Richard. In 1963 the family moved to Massachusetts, where they settled in Lexington. As was typical of women of her time Bettye devoted herself to raising her boys and supporting their aspirations. She was a Cub Scout den mother, a CCD teacher and volunteered her time for many other endeavors. When her boys grew older Bettye returned to work as the Office Manager for QEI, Inc. in Bedford, MA. The McLaughlin household was known as one of the main gathering spots for the kids in the neighborhood with its large backyard suited for baseball, wiffle ball, kickball and all sorts of games. Bettye and Ed let their garage become a clubhouse of sorts with a pool table, a ping-pong table, an air-hockey table and a refrigerator. As the consummate neighborhood Mom, Bettye always made sure the house was stocked with food and drinks for all the kids. Bettye and her husband Ed were enthusiastic golfers and were early members of Nashawtuc Country Club in Concord, Massachusetts and Quail Ridge Country Club in Boynton Beach, Florida. In retirement Bettye and her husband enjoyed being “sun birds” splitting time between Boynton Beach, Florida and Westford, Massachusetts for more than 20 years. Bettye settled full-time in Westford in 2000 after losing her husband of more than 50 years. Later in life, she faced aging gracefully with the catch-phrase, “it is what it is.”

A memorial service is scheduled for October 19th, in Massachusetts. For more specific information regarding this memorial celebration, please contact Bettye’s son, Ed McLaughlin, via email at: efm3254@hotmail.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in her name to House in the Woods, 217 Skunk Hill Road, Lee, ME 04455. Ph: 207-570-4806. (www.houseinthewoods.org). Funeral arrangements entrusted to The Fredrick J. Chapey & Sons West Islip Funeral Home. www.chapeyfamily.com

<A HREF="https://www.houseinthewoods.org/">House in the Woods 217 Skunk Hill Road Lee, ME 04455. Ph: 207-570-4806 (www.houseinthewoods.org)</A>