In loving memory of
Betty Ann Bahr (Swenson)

• January 17, 1926
• -
• February 11, 2024

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Betty Ann Bahr (Swenson), known to many as “Betsy”, died Sunday, February 11, 2024. She recently celebrated her 98th birthday with family and friends at her assisted living residence in Edgewater, FL.

Betsy was born on a family farm in Hackettstown, NJ, on January 17, 1926 to Nils and Alice (Woodfield) Swenson. Her father was a dairy farmer and her mother was a school teacher. After graduating from Hackettstown High School, Betsy attended Centenary College, a women’s junior college (now Centenary University), in her home town and graduated in 1945.

While working at Centenary, she dated Henry D. Bahr, Jr., who would soon leave to work as a civilian engineer for the US Army Corps of Engineers stationed in the Philippines. Not long after his departure, Betsy received an earnest 13 page marriage proposal letter from Henry. She accepted and, an ingenue who had never traveled far, Betsy made the 36 hour flight from New York to Manila, Philippine Islands, in 1947 to wed.

After returning to the US, Betsy and Henry lived in San Francisco, CA, with their young children before moving to Glastonbury, CT, in 1960. Betsy worked for the Glastonbury Board of Education before semi-retiring to North Carolina where she and Henry launched Coastal Diesel Service, a business venture they owned and operated before fully retiring to New Smyrna Beach, FL, in 1992. In retirement, Betsy volunteered for several local organizations. She most enjoyed her time volunteering for the Chamber of Commerce and for SCORE, a non profit small business mentoring organization.

Betsy was predeceased by her husband Henry. She is survived by daughters, Barbara Bernacki (Ed) and Betsy Bahr Peterson; and granddaughters, Pia Peterson Haggerty (Josh) and Emelia Peterson.

Betsy was a loving mother and a good friend to others. She is remembered as a strong, caring, kind, and even spunky person with a good sense of humor. Betsy loved dogs and spending time watching the hummingbirds and songbirds frequenting her backyard feeders. She will be missed very much.