Elizabeth “Betsy” McGrath died Sunday, Nov. 1 after a nearly two-year battle with a rare form of appendiceal cancer. She was 72.
Born Dec. 7, 1953, in Brighton, MA, to the late Francis and Mary (O’Connor) Gaw, she was the class valedictorian at Trinity High School in Manchester, NH, and a magna cum laude graduate of Newton College of the Sacred Heart. She also went on to earn a master’s degree in psychology at Boston College.
She began her professional career as a child psychologist at the Franciscan Children’s Hospital in Boston before leaving to become a full-time parent and homemaker. Eventually, she resumed her career by becoming an elementary school adjustment counselor in Abington and Cohasset.
She is survived by her husband of 45 years, Jim, a daughter Katie, son Teddy, daughter-in-law Lara McGrath, and granddaughter Cece McGrath. She is also survived by her sister, Kathy Liptak, brother Frank Gaw, brother-in-law Denis Liptak, and sister-in-law Susan Gaw.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11 at the Cartmell-Davis Funeral Home, 373 Court St., North Plymouth. A funeral mass will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 12 at St. Peter’s Church, 86 Court St., Plymouth, with burial to follow at Vine Hills Cemetery.