Elizabeth C Ditmars

Elizabeth (Betty) Collins Ditmars died on May 18,2024. She was born on October 20, 1928, in Philadelphia. She was the daughter of Ann Miller Collins and Francis Hare Collins. Betty was raised in Collingswood, NJ and graduated from Collingswood High. She went on to work at RCA and then Bell telephone as an operator. She met the true love of her life Robert Ditmars, also of Collingswood, at a teenage dance in Audubon. They dated a few years, then got married on December 2, 1950. They moved to Audubon and raised six children. Betty loved being a mother! They joined Holy Maternity Church. Betty was in the Alter and Rosary Society and helped with the CCD classes, while her husband Bob joined the church’s softball and bowling teams and was an usher. In 1967 the family bought a second home in Stone Harbor NJ and enjoyed many summers there. Betty got a summer job at Uncle Bill’s Pancake House as a hostess and found that she really loved the restaurant business and interacting with the customers. In 1973 the family moved to Sarasota Florida where Bob’s parents had retired. They bought the Tides Inn and managed that for four years, then sold it and went into the painting business. They made many friends in Sarasota. Betty loved to entertain and often included them in family holiday dinners. Betty and Bob also loved taking their dinners down to Siesta Key Beach to watch the beautiful sunsets. In 1990 they started managing Uncle Bill’s Pancake House in Strathmere, NJ for their daughter and son-in-law and spent 22 summers there. They loved their job and their regular customers and kept in touch with many of them over the off season. Betty and Bob were members of St. Thomas More church in Sarasota. Bob was a Eucharistic Minister and Betty enjoyed decorating the church at Christmas time. Betty had a deep faith and attended mass multiple times a week. Betty and Bob loved their yearly trips with Bob’s sister and her husband and would often recall the many funny things that happened to them! They had many pets throughout the years. Betty was especially attached to her dogs Maggie May and Ginger. And yes, she loved Rod Stewart and liked to dance! Betty is survived by her children Robert Jr. (Maribeth), Cynthia O’Hara (Patrick), Diane Stauffer (Christopher), Nancy Swain (Rick), 14 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband Robert, son Jeffrey, daughter Susan Caccia, two grandchildren, Christopher and Jarrod Ditmars and only sibling Ann Brennan. There will be a private mass celebrating her life at a later date with family and close friends attending. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Betty’s honor to: Tidewell Hospice 5955 Rand Blvd. Sarasota, FL 34238 (tidewellhospice.org ) or Satchel’s Last Resort Rescue and Sanctuary 8101 Coash Road, Sarasota, FL 34241 ( Satchelslastresort.org )

Elizabeth C Ditmars

October 20, 1928 - May 18, 2024