Elizabeth (Betsy) Healey Hope Avila of Fairhaven died on Friday, Sept. 11 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston surrounded by her children, their wives, and loved ones. She was 72.

Betsy’s parents Maurice Healey and Helen Maitland Healey of Clinton and Oak Bluffs predeceased her, as did her sisters Helen Healey Scott and Mickey (Maureen) Healey Crafts, brother David Healey, and her twin Bobby Healey.

A graduate of the Oak Bluffs Elementary and Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, Betsy was married to Roy B. Hope, with whom she had three children. Betsy is survived by her beloved children, Roy Hope and his wife Kathy Lacek Hope of West Tisbury, David Hope, his wife Meggan Mantenuto Hope, and their children Lily and Landon of Bourne, Brenda Hope of Fairhaven, and Sherry Avila Boucher, her husband Chris, and their children Brooke and Braley of Fairhaven. Betsy was married to Wayne Avila, Sherry’s father.

Betsy’s oldest brother Tom Healey and his partner Claude Sintes of Palm Springs, Calif. also survive her, and Betsy will be missed by a small army of nieces and nephews for whom she was not only an aunt but for some a mother, some a grandmother, and others a big sister and lifelong best friend.

The Maitland and Healey families were known far and wide for their tradition of hospitality and Betsy’s homes, like those of her parents, were joyful gathering places for friends and family. An invitation to Betsy’s house (not that one was needed) was a guarantee of a good meal and a great time.

Whether it was apple picking in Clinton, memorable weekends on the Vineyard in February with the entire contingent of Crafts and Scotts and Hopes, annual trips to York Beach, Maine, or an afternoon play date with her grandchildren, Betsy could be counted on to jump in feet first.

Betsy was the consummate grandmother—Marnie, as she was known, loved to spend time with her grandchildren. If it involved her grandchildren, she was right in the middle of it, loving all four of the kids—Lily, Landon, Brooke, and Braley—with all her heart. She was there for class plays, team sports, trips to the playground, first days of school, first bike rides, new puppy, recitals, whatever! All holidays big and small were made so much more special with Marnie participating.

Some of Betsy’s all-time favorite memories centered on long summer days spent at State Beach, always in the same spot, always with a large crowd. Friends and family gathered for the entire day, with assorted family members ferrying in drinks and sandwiches and some days even dinner, as no one ever wanted those beach days to end.

As a young woman on the Island, Betsy worked for Jimmy Rego in his insurance agency and at White Brothers, becoming a member of their families as well as their businesses. On the mainland, she worked at Northwestern Life Insurance and Harbor Hydraulics, both in Fairhaven.

When Betsy and her children moved off-Island, her already wide circle of friends expanded, and the years in Fairhaven and Mattapoisett were enriched with wonderful friendships, including Pat and Dennis Borges and their family. Some of the most important occasions of Betsy’s life were spent at the Borges Farm.

Following her retirement, Betsy moved into McGann Terrace Senior Housing, where she loved her apartment and enjoyed many close friendships.

Betsy’s memorial service will be held on Saturday, Sept. 26, with visiting hours from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Fairhaven Funeral Home, 117 Main Street, in Fairhaven.

Immediately following the service, Betsy’s children will host a buffet luncheon from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Seaport Inn, 110 Middle Street in Fairhaven, for a celebration of her life.

In lieu of flowers, the family would welcome donations to the charity of your choice or to Grace House, Inc., Betsy’s niece Bonnie Scott’s home in Shenandoah, Va. which serves as a transitional home for women in recovery from the diseases of addiction (www.gracehouseshenandoah.org; PO Box 52, Shenandoah, VA 22849).