Betty Green

Betty Green, one of Philipstown’s prominent women for the past 50 years in the civic, philanthropic and social world of Cold Spring and Garrison, passed away in her sleep, of natural causes, in her apartment on Oct. 22, 2017.

Born Betty Elaine Emhoff on Feb. 10, 1923, and raised in Grosse Point, Michigan, Betty was graduated from Simmons College in Boston. From an early age she aspired to a career in retailing, achieving her goal when hired as a buyer for the then prominent Bamberger department store, where she met her husband David Green, and later at R.H. Macy. She became a pacesetter, breaking a ‘glass ceiling’ in the world of retailing when she became president of the Women’s Division of Hart, Shaffner & Marx. Predecessors had all been men.

Betty and David, who passed away 25 years ago, lived and worked in Manhattan and San Francisco for many years before retirement. They resided on Lane Gate Road, Cold Spring, until David’s death, when Betty purchased and moved to a condominium, also in Cold Spring.

Betty’s dedication to several local organizations was legendary. She was particularly generous in volunteering her time, talent, and energy to Garrison’s Desmond-Fish Library, on whose board she served for 20 years. Awarded its prestigious Patricia Adams Award for Community Service in 2008, she chaired for several years the Library’s annual Associates Dinner, as well as co-chaired its Holiday Boutique.

A good friend, introducing Betty once for another award, described Betty as “like a hummingbird, they never stop, they are in constant motion, flying from place to place. That was Betty, dashing off to a meeting, to an event; flitting around Foodtown, darting into the cleaner, the post office, a longer pause at the Main Course to bring dinner home, where she no doubt picked up the phone to finish her day,”

In addition to serving as a trustee emerita of the Putnam History Museum and the board of the Chapel Restoration, Betty was a long-time member of the Philipstown Garden Club, joining in 1986 and serving as President for two terms from 1996-2000. She was honored by the Garden Club of America when asked to serve as Treasurer for one of its national annual meetings. In addition, Betty served as graduate treasurer of her Simmons College class.

There are no surviving relatives, her sister Shirley having passed away many years ago. In accordance with Betty’s wishes, there may be no memorial service.

Funeral Arrangements are entrusted to Clinton Funeral Home