Betsy Andersen

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Eleanore (Betsy) Andersen née Kopp, age 83, of Wayne, New Jersey. She died on May 4^th 2023, in the comfort of her home with her family caring for her.  

Betsy was born in Jersey City in 1939 to Eleanore Elizabeth née Grunwald and Edwin Frank Kopp. She grew up in East Paterson (now Elmwood Park) and attended Gantner Ave Elementary School before graduating from Lodi High School in 1957. She was elated that she and her two sons, Ron and Bob, all had the same cherished kindergarten teacher (Mrs. Hopper) at Ganter Ave School.

Betsy met Ronald Andersen, the love of her life, at age 1. Her grandmother and Ron’s grandmother were best friends, so Ron and Betsy were placed in the crib together at family picnics. Betsy shared that in her early teens, she always dreamed of marrying Ron. After their high school graduations, the two families were vacationing near each other in Wildwood, N.J. They happened to meet up during an evening walk on the boardwalk, and Betsy and Ron started dating. They married in 1959 and honeymooned in Miami, Florida. They have enjoyed 64 years of marriage.

Betsy loved raising her family in their Wayne home since 1969. She took care of her boys Ron and Bob, her husband Ron, and her mother and grandfather as all four generations lived together in their home for many years. She was at peace when she knew that her family was home, safe and together. She was a meticulous homemaker and hosted large gatherings for the holidays. The ping pong table replaced the dining room table so that everyone would have room to sit. Our family was small, but all the friends invited were adopted into the family for those memorable gatherings.     

As her boys married and her six grandchildren were born, she was again at peace when all were gathered, whether in New Jersey or during Christmas vacations to Wyoming. As long as the family was to be together, she would go anywhere.   

She was a skilled crafter and homemaker who enjoyed sewing, crocheting, needlework, and a number of other crafts that piqued her interest. Creating well-made clothes for her grandchildren was a priority. As a board member of the Wayne Woman’s Club, she made the floral centerpieces for their annual dinners. She and Ron were avid bowlers and country dancers. They loved to travel and share more than fifty years of memories from traveling throughout the United States and Europe and on many cruises, almost all with their friends Lois and Matt Marakovitz.  

Betsy’s first job was with Orange Roller Bearing Co. Inc. in Orange, N.J., where her father Edwin worked in the office. She worked as a bookkeeper for him, entering all data manually into the ledger sheets and calculating on a Monroe Calculating Machine. She left that position to raise her children.     

While her boys were in college, she held various secretarial positions at IBM, American Cyanamid, and other local companies. She learned all the required word processing systems to keep up with the times. When her boys graduated from college, she retired again. She became interested in home computer systems as they became available in the 1980s and always stayed up to date with systems and software that helped her manage the home finances. She also learned multiple ways to use the computer to help with her arts and crafts.

Her son Bob started a business (RC Andersen LLC) in 2006, and Betsy inquired as to how the bookkeeping and accounting would be handled. She volunteered her services to help jumpstart her son’s business and soon became a full-time employee. She couldn’t believe how easy and accurate the new computer software was in comparison with her early career experiences. She loved the work and loved seeing the company grow successfully while she handled the books. She worked for another 17 years until a month before her passing. Her husband Ron helped with the filing.
Betsy is survived by her husband Ronald; her son Ronald and his wife Theresa née Werns of Kinnelon and their children Brian, Meghan, and Sean; her son Robert (Bob) and his wife Andrea née Rittenhouse of Wayne and their children Erica, Valerie, and Christopher. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Make a Wish Foundation would be greatly appreciated.