Elizabeth Maffei

Tribute

Elizabeth Jane Maffei — known to all as Betsy — passed away peacefully on March 27, 2026, at Riddle Hospital in Media, Pennsylvania. A devoted mother, grandmother, nurse, and lifelong animal lover, she spent 83 years caring for everyone and everything around her. Betsy was born Elizabeth Jane Courtney on January 17, 1943, in Chester, Pennsylvania, to James M. Courtney and Helen V. Courtney (née Charles). She grew up alongside her two sisters, Patsy Meredith and Toni Clegg, who have also passed on. In her youth, Betsy was a proud Sunbeam Girl — an early chapter in a life defined by service and community. Betsy built a remarkable career as a Licensed Practical Nurse, serving at Crozer-Chester Medical Center and Mirmont Treatment Center before going on to work as a home health aide — more than 50 years of devoted service to her patients, in whatever form they needed her most. Betsy dreamed all her life of owning horses. When Hurricane Katrina struck, she traveled to New Orleans to help care for horses in the storm’s aftermath. In a final act of generosity, Betsy donated her body to science — giving to others even in death.

Friends & Family