Betty W. Anthony

Betty W. Anthony, 86, of Manchester, NH, passed away on October 27, 2023, at Catholic Medical Center after a period of declining health. She was born in Laconia, NH on August 14, 1937, to the late Nicholas and Alberta (Payson) Johnson.

Born Mary Elizabeth, but always referred to as “Betty” by anyone who knew her, so she legally changed her name in 2011. Betty’s parents settled in Manchester, NH while her mom was a school teacher in Hooksett, NH and her father was a partner in a restaurant in Claremont, NH. Nick became a Met life insurance agent in Manchester, and they were very involved with the Greek community, her father being fluent in both Greek and English.

Betty was educated in Manchester and graduated in 1955. Violin was a huge part of her life, she played in Central High School’s orchestra and went to study violin under George Gerasi, touring with his string group in New England and some Canadian provinces during her preteen and teen years. She also played with the Nashua Chamber Orchestra and the NH Philharmonic Orchestra.

She attended church at the First Congregational Church in Manchester as a youth, and later in life at the Congregational Church in Goffstown as well as St. Paul’s Methodist Church in Manchester. Many times, she played violin for the congregation.

As a young adult she was employed at the telephone company in the accounting department. In her later years she was very well known sales clerk at Halls Clothing in Goffstown, NH.

During her first marriage to Emery Wheeler, she had three children, Jeffrey, Wendy, and Candice.

Betty later married Russell Anthony, wed for 41 wonderful years, and she became a stepmother to his two children, Scott and Daniel. Betty and Russell never had children together.

Betty loved fashion, maintaining the same clothing size from high school through the rest of her lifetime! She enjoyed watching QVC and HSN on tv, shopping for family. She was also an excellent cook and a meticulous housekeeper.

She enjoyed various hobbies including crafting, cooking, stamp and coin collecting, seashells, and traveling through New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. She was passionate about her garden, even in the last 8 years gardening with her 100-foot oxygen hose connected, it still never stopped her. You would often see a passerby stopping to take pictures of her beautiful garden. Betty loved to dance and many times the people in the dance area would give the floor to Betty and Russ and form a circle around them, applauding loudly in excitement.

Betty loved all animals, including birds, and had as many as 9 cats and one dog, leaving behind two cats when she passed.

She leaves behind her beloved husband of 41 years, Russell Anthony of Manchester, NH; her children Jeffery Wheeler and his wife Katherine Stapleton of Bow, NH, Wendy Wheeler and her husband Gerard Lagasse of Goffstown, NH, and Candice Wheeler and her husband Scott Lawlor; stepchildren Scott Anthony and his wife Bisera Hendzik of Arizona, and Daniel Anthony of Kentucky; and six grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Betty’s honor to the Manchester Animal Shelter.

Services will be held privately with family at the New Hampshire State Veteran Cemetery.