Mary “Betty” Bothe (nee Consoli) age 99 of Fairview passed away peacefully on Tuesday August 28, 2018 in the presence of and while receiving the loving care of her family.

Betty was born in San Donato Di Ninea, Italy.  She was one of six children to John and Concetta  Consoli.  Betty’s family immigrated to the United States in 1928.  Betty was a part of a group in our society that has become known as of late as the Greatest Generation.  People of the Greatest Generation are people who grew up during the deprivation of the Great Depression and later as young adults bore witness to the Second World War.  Subsequent to arriving in the United States, Betty’s family settled in Cliffside Park and eventually moved to Fairview where Betty would call her home for the rest of her life.  During her time in high school, Betty took an interest in Basketball and played for their High School team.  After graduating from Cliffside High School with the class of 1936, Betty worked for a short time at various company’s doing various types of work.  In the early 1940’s Betty was introduced to a handsome young man by the name of Otto George Bothe by some mutual friends.  Their very first date was a night out on the town dancing.  As fate would have it, they fell in love and on June 10, 1945 they were married in Our Lady of Grace Church in Fairview.

Immediately after getting married, Betty devoted herself to being a homemaker.  She dedicated herself to caring and nurturing her family.  Betty was an outstanding cook, especially of Italian food and always had dinner ready for her husband and children at 4:30 every day like clockwork.  Sunday dinners were always a big event in the Bothe house, where Betty would cook up Thanksgiving caliber dinners weekly.  Needless to say that Holiday Dinners were always planned to be at Betty’s home.  She was very active in the PTA and Little League where her sons participated and was extremely involved in every aspect of her children’s lives as they grew up. Her family has very fond memories of their summer vacations and weekends at the Jersey Shore in Brick Township and Point Pleasant.  Later in Betty’s life she put her homemaking and motherly skills to good use, she took jobs as a babysitter for several children.

Betty was very dedicated to her Catholic Faith and was a parishioner for many years at Our Lady of Grace Church in Fairview where she also sang in the Church Choir.  Betty was very active in the senior’s clubs in her town and as an avid bowler, playing in her women’s leagues well into her nineties.  She was also a member of the VFW in Cliffside Park for many years.  Betty was gregarious and the kind of person who seemed to know everyone.  She made countless lifelong friendships with many of the people she met throughout her life.  She was blessed with good health throughout her life and longevity, however she tragically had to experience two of her sons passing, Robert John Bothe (2017), and John Otto Bothe (2001).  Aside from all of Betty’s talents and interests, her greatest passion was for her family.  Nothing meant more to Betty than providing for, and spending time with (and feeding!) her family Betty was an extraordinary person who touched the lives of countless people, she was often considered the “glue that held her family together.”  Betty will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.  

Betty is survived by her daughter Janet Kissack and her husband Dana of West Milford, two grandchildren; Robert Bothe and his wife Lori of Hasbrouck Heights, and Michael Bothe and his wife Janice of Middletown, three great grandchildren; Jordan, Kate, and Joseph Bothe all of Hasbrouck Heights.  She was predeceased by her husband Otto Bothe as well as her two sons; Robert John Bothe, and John Otto Bothe.  She was also predeceased by her brothers Patrick Consoli, Sam Consoli, and Anthony Consoli, and her sisters Caroline Dambra and Adeline Consoli.