- Date Of Birth: November 26, 1927
- Date Of Death: December 4, 2021
- State: Connecticut
Elizabeth “Betty” (Rhatigan) Dolen, a 60-year resident of Ridgefield has died at the age of 94. Betty was born in Staten Island, New York, to the late John and Mary (Wall) Rhatigan, on November 26, 1927. She was predeceased by her husband Frank Dolen and three brothers, John, George, and Donald Rhatigan.
Betty attended Staten Island schools; St. Sylvester’s School and St. Peter’s Girls High School where she was always top of her class. She met her husband Frank through friends, and they were married in December 1949. They moved the family to Ridgefield in the middle of a snowstorm, in February 1962.
Betty and Frank loved raising their family in Ridgefield. Betty was a devout Catholic and a parishioner of St. Mary’s Parish. She was an active member of the Wolfpit Running Club for many years, where she met so many wonderful friends. She had been a part-time employee for Weight Watcher’s, Inc. for 25 years. For over 20 years, she delivered the Danbury News Times to her neighbors, taking over the paper route that had been passed down through her children (a 39-year run). She was selfless, always putting her family and friends first, and had endless amounts of energy. She was involved in school activities, homework projects, a term paper typist (and editor), Girl Scout cookie chairman, and catechism teacher. She led summer excursions, always making sure to bring along an extra neighborhood child or two, whom she treated as her own.
In the late 1970s, Betty began hiking the Appalachian Trail in Connecticut. On one of these hikes, she met a new friend, Jane Shepard, who shared the same dream of hiking the entire trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. Together, they backpacked, hiking 100-mile sections of trail, twice a year, and in 1985, they realized their dream of completing the entire 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail. At the time, she was only one of about 1,300 people to do so. She even repeated her favorite sections and nearly completed the trail a second time, before hanging up her hiking boots in her late 70’s. She continued walking the neighborhood into her 90’s.
Betty warmed the hearts of many and will be sorely missed by her family and friends and those who had the privilege of knowing her. Her children will cherish her singing throughout the day and her always cheerful smile.
