Elizabeth (Betty) Ashbrook McCann, 100, died at Waverly Heights in Gladwyne, PA, on Monday July 27, 2020. Born in Columbus, OH to Byron Baldwin Ashbrook and Helen Wright Ashbrook on November 17, 1919, Betty attended Johnstown (OH) public schools, graduated in 1937 from the Columbus School for Girls, and Smith College in Northampton, MA, in 1941, majoring in government.
In 1941 she married Gordon Howard, but the marriage ended in divorce. She married Robert Franklin McCann, Jr. in 1949 in Newark, OH, and raised four children, mostly in Allentown, PA. In 1976 she and Robert moved to Portland, OR and enjoyed exploring the Pacific NW by boat and airplane.
Betty served on a variety of boards and committees related to her children's schools and activities, and helped endow the McCann Center at the Swain School in Allentown, PA, dedicated in 2002. She was a member of the Waverley Country Club and Portland Yacht Club, both of Portland, OR, the Lehigh Country Club of Allentown, PA, and the Merion Cricket Club of Haverford, PA.
She inspired her family and friends with her infectious sense of humor and enthusiasm for politics, education, golf, and bridge. As a lasting legacy, her sons and grandchildren frequently relish repeating the many expressions she used to make a point. In addition, her love of travel around the world with her family brought with it an understanding that, despite cultural differences, most people had a great deal in common.
Survivors include her sons: R. Ashbrook (Connie) of Bryn Mawr, PA, and Byron Beard (Colleen) of Seattle, WA, and six grandchildren. Her husband, Robert, her daughter, Martha Wright, her son, William Franklin, and two younger brothers, Byron and Robert, predeceased her.
Betty was buried on August 3 in Newark, OH, with funeral arrangements handled by Chadwick & McKinney Funeral Home Inc. of Ardmore, PA. At some point, when post-pandemic conditions permit, her sons plan to honor her request for a party in her honor.
Published in Morning Call on Sep. 24, 2020.
In 1941 she married Gordon Howard, but the marriage ended in divorce. She married Robert Franklin McCann, Jr. in 1949 in Newark, OH, and raised four children, mostly in Allentown, PA. In 1976 she and Robert moved to Portland, OR and enjoyed exploring the Pacific NW by boat and airplane.
Betty served on a variety of boards and committees related to her children's schools and activities, and helped endow the McCann Center at the Swain School in Allentown, PA, dedicated in 2002. She was a member of the Waverley Country Club and Portland Yacht Club, both of Portland, OR, the Lehigh Country Club of Allentown, PA, and the Merion Cricket Club of Haverford, PA.
She inspired her family and friends with her infectious sense of humor and enthusiasm for politics, education, golf, and bridge. As a lasting legacy, her sons and grandchildren frequently relish repeating the many expressions she used to make a point. In addition, her love of travel around the world with her family brought with it an understanding that, despite cultural differences, most people had a great deal in common.
Survivors include her sons: R. Ashbrook (Connie) of Bryn Mawr, PA, and Byron Beard (Colleen) of Seattle, WA, and six grandchildren. Her husband, Robert, her daughter, Martha Wright, her son, William Franklin, and two younger brothers, Byron and Robert, predeceased her.
Betty was buried on August 3 in Newark, OH, with funeral arrangements handled by Chadwick & McKinney Funeral Home Inc. of Ardmore, PA. At some point, when post-pandemic conditions permit, her sons plan to honor her request for a party in her honor.
Published in Morning Call on Sep. 24, 2020.
Elizabeth (Betty) Ashbrook McCann, 100, died at Waverly Heights in Gladwyne, PA, on Monday July 27, 2020. Born in Columbus, OH to Byron Baldwin Ashbrook and Helen Wright Ashbrook on November 17, 1919, Betty attended Johnstown (OH) public schools, graduated in 1937 from the Columbus School for Girls, and Smith College in Northampton, MA, in 1941, majoring in government.
In 1941 she married Gordon Howard, but the marriage ended in divorce. She married Robert Franklin McCann, Jr. in 1949 in Newark, OH, and raised four children, mostly in Allentown, PA. In 1976 she and Robert moved to Portland, OR and enjoyed exploring the Pacific NW by boat and airplane.
Betty served on a variety of boards and committees related to her children's schools and activities, and helped endow the McCann Center at the Swain School in Allentown, PA, dedicated in 2002. She was a member of the Waverley Country Club and Portland Yacht Club, both of Portland, OR, the Lehigh Country Club of Allentown, PA, and the Merion Cricket Club of Haverford, PA.
She inspired her family and friends with her infectious sense of humor and enthusiasm for politics, education, golf, and bridge. As a lasting legacy, her sons and grandchildren frequently relish repeating the many expressions she used to make a point. In addition, her love of travel around the world with her family brought with it an understanding that, despite cultural differences, most people had a great deal in common.
Survivors include her sons: R. Ashbrook (Connie) of Bryn Mawr, PA, and Byron Beard (Colleen) of Seattle, WA, and six grandchildren. Her husband, Robert, her daughter, Martha Wright, her son, William Franklin, and two younger brothers, Byron and Robert, predeceased her.
Betty was buried on August 3 in Newark, OH, with funeral arrangements handled by Chadwick & McKinney Funeral Home Inc. of Ardmore, PA. At some point, when post-pandemic conditions permit, her sons plan to honor her request for a party in her honor.
Published in Morning Call on Sep. 24, 2020.
In 1941 she married Gordon Howard, but the marriage ended in divorce. She married Robert Franklin McCann, Jr. in 1949 in Newark, OH, and raised four children, mostly in Allentown, PA. In 1976 she and Robert moved to Portland, OR and enjoyed exploring the Pacific NW by boat and airplane.
Betty served on a variety of boards and committees related to her children's schools and activities, and helped endow the McCann Center at the Swain School in Allentown, PA, dedicated in 2002. She was a member of the Waverley Country Club and Portland Yacht Club, both of Portland, OR, the Lehigh Country Club of Allentown, PA, and the Merion Cricket Club of Haverford, PA.
She inspired her family and friends with her infectious sense of humor and enthusiasm for politics, education, golf, and bridge. As a lasting legacy, her sons and grandchildren frequently relish repeating the many expressions she used to make a point. In addition, her love of travel around the world with her family brought with it an understanding that, despite cultural differences, most people had a great deal in common.
Survivors include her sons: R. Ashbrook (Connie) of Bryn Mawr, PA, and Byron Beard (Colleen) of Seattle, WA, and six grandchildren. Her husband, Robert, her daughter, Martha Wright, her son, William Franklin, and two younger brothers, Byron and Robert, predeceased her.
Betty was buried on August 3 in Newark, OH, with funeral arrangements handled by Chadwick & McKinney Funeral Home Inc. of Ardmore, PA. At some point, when post-pandemic conditions permit, her sons plan to honor her request for a party in her honor.
Published in Morning Call on Sep. 24, 2020.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
