Mrs Betty Mae MacFadyen

November 3, 1927 - March 12, 2016

Betty Mae Nicholls MacFadyen died reluctantly at her home in Lenox on Saturday, March 12th at sunrise. She was 88 years young. The daughter of Elizabeth Hammond Nicholls and Victor Nicholls of Pittsfield, Betty was a 1945 graduate of Pittsfield High School. Following graduation Betty was accepted into the Cadet Nurse Corps at Cooley Dickinson Hospital but after failing the pharmacology course by giving her last patient water after cough syrup she returned home to marry Colin MacFadyen. As newlyweds Betty and Colin both worked in New York City commuting daily from their home in New Rochelle. Returning to the Berkshires in the mid 1950's with plans to start a family they bought an old farmhouse in Lenox with no running water so they ran a hose over from the neighbor's house. As a mom Betty encouraged creativity, allowed dogs on beds and playing outside until it was time to be fed. Betty was very involved at the Junior League Thrift Shop on North Street in Pittsfield for many years, much to the delight of her teenage daughter who had "new" outfits weekly. She continued as a sustaining member of the Junior League. She was best known for her affiliations with MAD Estate Sales, Sawyer Antiques and most recently Kim's Estate Sales. A sudden illness forced her into early retirement in December 2015. At the estate sales Betty was delighted to connect her devoted clientele with specific items of interest. She kept the crew happy by baking brownies and mistakenly thought she could repair the electronics left behind. Betty is survived by her daughter Christine Elizabeth MacFadyen and her life partner William J. O'Leary of Pittsfield and his children Martha N. O'Leary of Clinton, NY and William S. O'Leary of Denver, CO and her step grandson Alexander C. Genga of Huntsville, AL. She is also survived by her little sister Beverly Nicholls Rainey of Lenox and Gaffney, SC (who referred to her big sister as the "The Betster") and many loving nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her son Jeffrey Colin MacFadyen a noted area ski racer, her husband Colin MacFadyen and her sister Barbara Nicholls Lee. There will be no calling hours. Burial service will be private. Betty's quiet touch was far reaching and everyone who remembers her is asked to celebrate her life on Wednesday night by raising a glass of their beverage of choice. In lieu of flowers, donations in Betty's honor may be made to the Mark Huber Basketball Scholarship Fund-Berkshire Taconic or to The Lenox Library for the Lenox 250th Anniversary Celebration in care of the Roche Funeral Home, 120 Main Street, Lenox, MA 01240