Betsy R. Bertolino

Betsy was born January 20, 1928 in Winston-Salem, NC, to Phoebe and William Larimore of Walkertown, NC.

She attended the Women’s College of North Carolina, graduating with a degree in Art. She went to New York City and worked as a fashion illustrator. There she met the love of her life, Carl Bertolino of Detroit. They married December 20, 1952 and soon after moved to Detroit where Betsy raised their family while she continued studying and creating art.

During the 1960s she became interested eastern wisdom, studied yoga and became a yoga instructor in 1968, teaching in Southfield, MI and in 1975 was a founding member of The Yoga Teachers Association of Greater Detroit, one of the first yoga teachers’ organizations in the US.

When Carl retired from Ford Motor Co. in 1982 they moved to Palm Harbor, Florida where she taught yoga until 1999 when she retired to refocus on her art.

After 61 years together, Carlo died in 2018. In 2019 Betsy moved to her favorite vacation spot for decades, the Upper Peninsula, where she resided at The Bluffs in Houghton for 5 years. She enjoyed creating art while watching nature in the Keweenaw out her windows overlooking Houghton & Hancock.

Betsy is survived by her daughter, Susan (Brian) Ruddy of Keweenaw Bay, her son Bill (Bonnie) Bertolino of Tampa, Florida, her grandchildren, Carl and Elise Bertolino; and sister Lib (Steve) Morgan of Westfield, NC. Betsy requested no service – Just enjoy the beauty around you.