Mary E. (Colburn) Hastings

Elizabeth (Colburn) Hastings, age 82 passed away on June 22, 2025 at the Kaplan House in Danvers. She was born on January 30, 1943 to Frank and Estelle (Hickson) Colburn. She grew up in Haverhill, Ma. and had many lifelong friends. Her father managed theaters in Haverhill and she and her sister would work the ticket booths frequently. If the concession ice cream cones were damaged they were allowed to have them. Some always seemed to have questionable dents.

Betty graduated from Merrimack College with a degree in Education and a Masters degree from Cambridge College. Her father, George Moonoogian, and she needed to be recertified for teaching and they commuted to Salem State together. She worked as an Educational Consultant demonstrating in class writing techniques to teachers. Most were in states on the eastern seaboard and she particularly loved working with Boston teachers. She established and art program with the Penobscot tribe in Bangor (Old Town). Traveling there one winter day she skidded on some ice on a bridge damaging the front quarter panel. After she explained what happened they gave her her “Indian” name “Slides on Ice”. Betty also served as the religious education director for the Haverhill UU church.

She was an avid reader and belonged to a few book clubs. She insisted that the book was discussed at every meeting. Socializing could happen after--only after. With other parents she helped to start a youth soccer program in Georgetown. She was a chair for the “Friends of the Library” in Georgetown which helps support library initiatives and programs.

She was introduced to her sister-in-law’s mother, Flossie Pudder, in a remote area of West Virginia who brought her around to meet all the women in Jerry’s Run. Quilts and instruction were a big topic. It was there that  her passion for quilting started. She would spend full days in her quilt studio emerging only for dinner. She was a member of the Merrimack Valley Quilters (serving as one of their presidents), Georgetown Quilters (making quilts for veterans), and the Essex County Needlecraft Guild. She made many dear friends in these groups.

Betty loved entertaining especially when the whole family gathered and the house would be bursting at the seams. She did make a concession though when she retired the fine china and replaced them with dishwasher safe items. When her grandkids, grandnephews and nieces were young she would organize a summertime “Camp Gramps” week with activities, food, and pool time. “Gramps” took credit mainly due to the fact that the name was catchier.

Betty is survived by her husband of 62 years, Bill Hastings, her sons, Christopher and Richard, daughter-in-law Michelle, and grandchildren, Wyatt, Lucian, and Lila, as well as her large much loved extended family. Her husband had a tour of duty in Viet Nam starting when Christopher was 11 months old and she was 6 months pregnant. She handled that challenge with her typical grace and resolve

Family and friends are cordially invited to attend Betty’s funeral service on Friday, July 18th at 10:30 AM at the FRS Unitarian Universalist Church in Newburyport, Ma. The service will also be available virtually. The zoom link is https://zoom.us/j/99825036526?pwd=F2UJZ5DWPotrT3a0ZVq7Jbd1ZxUkad.1 Meeting ID: 998 2503 6526, Passcode: 176452

Visitation will be held on Thursday, July 17 from 3 to 6PM at the Conte - Giamberadino Funeral Home, 14 Pleasant Street., Georgetown. Please visit the funeral home web site www.cgfuneralhomegeorgetown.com for directions, florists, or to share memories of Betty with her family.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary E. (Colburn) Hastings, please visit our floral store.