Betty Jayne Ireland (Rusty for her auburn red hair), 93, died Monday morning February 12, 2018 at the Residence at Otter Creek in Middlebury, Vermont surrounded by her loving family. Betty was born November 5, 1924 in Springfield, MA and was the only child of Elwyn C. and Elvira (Baldassaro) Brooks. She joined her late husband, Dr. Roger Gordon Ireland of Denver, Colorado, on what would have been their 69th wedding anniversary. Her late son, Kim Patrick Ireland, was also there to welcome her into eternal light. Betty also was predeceased by her beloved half-sisters Sandy and Patty Brooks of Bellows Falls, VT, her step brother William Brooks of Bellows Falls, VT, and her sister-in-law Collette Bradt of Rogers, AR. As an infant, Bettys parents moved with her to Bellows Falls, Vermont where she lived until after graduating high school and attending college and nursing school. Betty attended Bellows Falls High School, from which she graduated in 1942. She attended and graduated from Dean College in Franklin, Massachusetts before pursuing her lifelong dream of becoming a registered nurse. Betty then attended and graduated from the Metropolitan Hospital School of Nursing in New York City in 1948 with a three-year Diploma in Nursing. It was during her time working at Metropolitan Hospital that she met her future husband who was completing his residency. Betty and Roger married in 1948 and she put her nursing career on hold to raise her four children. For 37 years, Betty also supported her husbands career as a naval medical officer until his retirement from the Pentagon in 1983. Betty returned to nursing in 1968 and during her career, she earned a reputation for always putting her patients first and fighting for whatever they needed and deserved. Betty was also well-known for her work ethic, commitment to excellence, and her willingness to teach and mentor other healthcare professionals in the field, including medical students, interns and residents. Betty retired from nursing in the mid 1980s and in 2011, relocated from the Washington DC area to Middlebury, Vermont, where she resided happily at the Residence at Otter Creek until her death. Music was extremely important to Betty. Whether she was listening to the Nate King Cole Trio or young Frank Sinatra at one of the many nightclubs she frequented in New York in her youth, or participating in weekly sing-a-longs at the Residence in her final years, you would find Betty tapping her feet and singing along. When her children were teenagers, you could often find her playing their music louder than they did as she prepared dinner. In her final days, the Hospice Singers gave her a personal concert at her bedside and although she was barely conscious, she could be seen tapping her feet under the covers. In her younger years, Betty was a terrific furniture refinisher and loved to visit flea markets and antique shops to find that special something. Her home was very important to her and she always worked hard to make it a warm and welcoming environment. In her later years, she loved to take long drives into the mountains, visit shops in different villages, and try the local crmee stand. Betty was a dedicated friend and loved spending time with her children and their friends. When her oldest two children were teens in New Jersey, they would frequently return home after a date to find many of their friends sitting in the kitchen table talking with Miss Betty. Every Sunday, Betty bought several cartons of 3 dozen eggs each and cooked breakfast for the parade of kids who started arriving after church at 9 am and continued cooking for them throughout the day. When Dr. Ireland was transferred to Washington, DC, one of her favorite events was the Ireland Annual Christmas Eve Party she and Dr. Ireland hosted each year. She loved holding court. In her later years, she was known for her feisty personality and how much she loved engaging with friends and caregivers. So many of those caregivers came by to see Betty in her final days to kiss her goodbye. She never grew tired of people sitting down for a chat and never asked for more than your time. Betty is survived by her children, Dr. Michael G. Ireland of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Jill M. Ireland of Middlebury, VT and San Antonio, TX; Kerry C. Ireland of Clarksville, MD and his wife Rebecca; grandsons Eric M. Ireland of Harpers Ferry, WV (and her great-grandchildren Connor and Brooke Ireland) and Thomas N. Ireland of New York, New York; granddaughters Kelly L. Ireland of Philadelphia, PA and Lauren E. Ireland of New York, New York; brother-in-law Bud Bradt of Rogers, AR; nieces Kristine Kendrick and her husband Owen of Eureka Springs, AR; Terri Bradt and her husband Terry Clark of Eureka Springs, AR; her nephew Andrew Bradt of Fayetteville, AR; and her dear friends Cheryl W. Kurtz of Dallas, TX; Angela A. Nunley of Ocala, FL; Ellie Casterline and her husband Daryl of Marshall, Virginia; and Jerry and Cathy Murphy of New Jersey. Visitation for Betty will be held at the Sanderson-Ducharme Funeral Home on RT 30 in Middlebury, VT on Saturday March 10, 2018 from 10 until 12 P.M, with a memorial service following at the Residence at Otter Creek from 1:30 to 4 pm. We invite anyone who knew and loved Betty to join us and share stories. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at a later date this spring and Betty will be interred at St. Marys Cemetery in Middlebury, VT. The family requests that Memorial contributions be made to the Addison County Home Health & Hospice at P.O. Box 754, Middlebury, VT 05753 or http://www.achhh.org/memorial-gifts.html. Online condolences at www.sandersonfuneralserrvice.com. SERVICES Visitation Saturday, March 10, 2018 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Sanderson-Ducharme Funeral Home 117 South Main St Middlebury, VT 05753 Memorial Service Saturday, March 10, 2018 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM Residence at Otter Creek Middlebury, VT 05753