Elizabeth Anne Crosby's Obituary
Beth died in her sleep at home in Tallahassee, Florida on May 27th at 7:50 am with her sister Joan and husband Roy at her bedside. She was 76 years young.
Her passing was the end of the “long goodbye”, living with Alzheimer’s disease. While she questioned her fate, she understood the nature of her disease and lived gracefully to the end.
Beth was born in Cincinnati September 19th, 1948, to Ambrose and Mary Crosby. She was the 5th of 7 siblings, with sisters Barbara, Katie, Eileen and Joan, and brothers Dave and John.
Beth attended Guardian Angel elementary school and was the Salutatorian when she graduated from McNicholas high school in 1966. She attended New College in Sarasota, Florida, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies in 1969. She received a Master of Arts in Library Sciences from The University of Michigan in 1973.
Beth met her first husband, David Schwartz, at New College. They were married in September 1971. Their son, Nate, was born in 1992, and lives in the Finger Lakes region of New York state.
Beth was employed in the wine industry in the Finger Lakes region, starting as a field worker in 1975 and finishing as a director of wine tasting events 8 years later. She was commissioned to write a book on “New World Wines” and traveled to Australia and New Zealand for that purpose. A draft of the book was completed but unpublished.
She and David moved to Harrisburg PA, in 1985. She was employed by the Pennsylvania State Education Association in 1991, ultimately becoming the editor of PSEA publications.
Beth met her second husband, Roy Verbrugge, in Mexico in 2008. They were married in October 2009. She and Roy lived in Victoria, British Columbia, for two years before moving to Englewood, Florida in 2012, eventually settling in Tallahassee in 2023 to be near her sister Joan and brother-in-law George, for her final years.
Beth’s education, work, and retirement included travel experiences to Canada, Europe, India, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and numerous road trips crisscrossing the United States, with occasional cruise ship excursions on the side.
She was a passionate reader, crossword puzzler, and bridge player. Her door was always open for friends, family, and friends of friends and family. Her cooking and baking are remembered by all.
All Beth’s siblings have survived her.
Beth’s ashes are with Roy and Nate. While no formal arrangements for her remains have been planned, there is interest in gatherings at various places with family and friends that have not been finalized.
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