Obituary of Elizabeth T. Bernhart

Elizabeth T. Bernhart, 83, died January 6, 2016. She was the loving wife of William W. Bernhart for 63 years. Born in Hartford, CT., on December 12, 1932 to Alfreda A. Tanner and Alvin E. Tanner, Betty grew up in West Hartford where she attended local schools, graduating from Hall High School in 1950. She attended Centenary College graduating in 1952. She and Bill were married in 1952. After Bill's service in the U.S. Navy, Betty moved to Ithaca, NY with Bill and their young son while Bill attended graduate school. In 1954, they returned to West Hartford, where they raised their three children. Betty enjoyed using her creative skills. She was an expert flower arranger, developed beautiful gardens, was a charter member of the Buena Vista Garden Club in West Hartford and was always an active member of the garden club in her community. She painted at the West Hartford Art League while living in West Hartford. Later, at Cape Cod, she painted Bill's bird carvings. She also loved being with children. She was a Girl Scout leader, taught at the Quaker Lane Nursery School for several years and volunteered her services helping children with special needs. In 1986, Betty and Bill moved to Cape Cod where they lived in retirement for 20 wonderful years. During this period they sailed to Florida several times on the Intracoastal Waterway and traveled to Maine many times in their sailboat. The natural beauty of Cape Cod provided Betty with inspiration for her paintings and gardening. Betty and Bill moved back to CT in 2003 to be closer to family members, living in Old Saybrook for seven years. They moved to Chester Village West in Chester, CT in 2011. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her children, William T. (Janet) Bernhart of Chester, Lawrence W. (Juliet) Bernhart of Tolland, and Susan B. (Mark) Scott of Darien, and her grand children Michael (Christina) Bernhart of Glastonbury, Christopher Scott of West Palm Beach, FL, Elizabeth Scott of NYC, Nathaniel Bernhart of Tolland and Alida Bernhart of Tolland, and two great grand sons Ryan Bernhart and Christopher Bernhart of Glastonbury. She is also survived by her brother Alvin E. Tanner of Bow, NH and his family. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday January 14th at the United Church of Chester, 29 West Main Street, Chester, CT 06412. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations made to the Chester Village West Foundation, 317 West Main Street, Chester, CT 06412. To share a memory of Elizabeth or send a condolence to her family, please visit www.rwwfh.com. Arrangements by Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home, Centerbrook.