Betty Phillips passed away on Sunday, April 3, 2022, at Saint Andre Health Care in Biddeford following a 12-year journey with Alzheimer’s. Born Beatrice Louise Lothrop on May 23, 1929, in Pine Point, Maine, Betty was the ninth child of the late Mel and Edith Lothrop. Betty attended Scarborough schools, graduating from Scarborough High School in 1947.

Betty’s life would be forever changed on Memorial Day 1949, when a young sailor winked at her from across the room at The Blaine Restaurant on Congress Street in Portland. She and the sailor, Loyd Phillips, stayed in touch over the next four years, marrying in Yuma, Arizona, on Jan. 4, 1953.

The couple welcomed their first child in 1954, and two more children in the next three years. They lived in various locations while Loyd was in the Navy, finally settling in Kennebunk upon his retirement in 1963. In order to make money to cover the down payment on their home in Kennebunk, Betty cut clams in her kitchen for her brother’s seafood business.

A few years after settling in Kennebunk, Betty and Loyd welcomed their fourth child.

Betty spent many years raising the couple’s children, finally returning to work once their youngest child was in school all day. Once again, she worked cutting clams, this time for her nephew in her hometown of Pine Point.

Betty’s greatest joy in life was her family. She enjoyed spending time with them and especially enjoyed the frequent family parties celebrating various holidays and birthdays. Over the years, Betty welcomed many of her children’s friends to these parties, taking care to make sure that by the time they left they felt like family, too. She was truly “everyone’s mom.”

Her other great joy in life was the beach. Betty spent countless hours soaking up the sun on Gooch’s Beach in Kennebunk and was happiest when accompanied there by her children and/or grandchildren.

In 2010 Betty was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. She remained at home with her husband Loyd until January 2013 when her disease progressed to the point where it was unsafe for her to do so. Over the next several years she spent time in Huntington Common, Monarch Center, Bellavita, and finally Saint Andre Health Care.

No matter where she went, Betty quickly became a favorite among the caregivers. While her disease could make her challenging to deal with, her underlying sass and sweetness made her easy to love. Betty’s family is most grateful for the wonderful care given to Betty by the staff of Saint Andre Health Care. Their kindness and compassion enhanced the quality of the final years of her life.

Betty is survived her children and their spouses (who she also considered “her children”), Boyd and Brenda Phillips, Cheryl and Michael Day, Floyd and Gail Phillips, and Edie and Robert Rossborough; her eight grandchildren, Christopher (and wife Heidi), Ross (and wife Anna), Ashley (and husband Brad Miele), and Kayla (and partner Tony Sarcona) Phillips, Kylie, Phillip, Bella, and Brady Rossborough; great-grandchildren Jacksen and Isla Phillips, and Hamilton and Oliver Miele.

While her great-grandchildren did not have the opportunity to know the real “Bet,” they will be the beneficiaries of the deep love and family values that she instilled in her children and grandchildren. In addition to her husband and parents, Betty was predeceased by brothers Everett, Edward, Harold, Gerald (Buster), and Joseph Lothrop, and sisters Emily Sargent, Gladys Collins, and Dorothy Willette.

No service will be held at this time. The family will instead honor Betty’s memory and spirit by hosting a celebration of her life at a future date. Should friends desire, donations in Betty’s memory may be made to a local nonprofit that was instrumental in helping the family navigate the challenges posed by Alzheimer’s disease: A Place to Start, 41 Main St., Suite 2, Kennebunk, ME 04043 (aplacetostartfordementia.org).

Arrangements are entrusted to the Johnson Funeral Home, 26 Market St., North Berwick. Condolences and memories may be shared at www.JohnsonFuneralHomeME.com.