Betty E. Zaff, age 84 of Bedford, formerly of Maplewood, NJ, passed away on January 28th, 2023.

She is survived by her devoted and loving husband, Harold Zaff, with whom she shared 64 years of marriage. She was the loving and caring mother to her four children: Brian Zaff (Jennifer) of Ossining NY; Karen Z. Martin (Michael) of Slingerlands, NY; Susan Z. Casey of Bedford, MA; and Kathy Z. Georgopoulos (Evan) of Groton, MA.

Betty is also survived by her 11 grandchildren, Mathew Zaff (Divya), Lukas, Austin, Brennan and Cecilia Zaff, Tara Martin and Deirdre Martin-LaMay (Dan), Victoria and Jared Casey, Sophie and Lily Georgopoulos, and many dear nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her close-knit family, brother Richard E. Alpert (Effie) and her parents Samuel and Elizabeth Alpert (née Eckhouse.)

Born September 26,1938 in Newark, NJ, Betty graduated from West Orange High School and went on to receive an undergraduate degree from Upsala College, where she met Harold. While also raising her four children, Betty obtained a master's degree in Education from Kean University. Betty was an elementary school teacher in the Orange, NJ school system for over 25 years, where she was dedicated to her students and many co-workers.

Betty loved spending her summers on the Jersey Shore in Avon-by-the Sea, NJ with her extended family and friends. She would plan champagne happy hours, dinners, and evenings playing board games and bridge. Betty was also an enthusiastic and passionate traveler and was able to journey over much of the world. She delighted in planning trips and documenting them with her photos and journals. Her special travel companions were her husband and her brother and sister-in-law.

She maintained connections with childhood friends, extended family members, nieces, nephews, new spouses, and the next generation of grandchildren. She forged new friendships with neighbors and never forgot a birthday.

In her later years she relished her poolside summers in Bedford where she enjoyed celebrating family milestones and entertaining her extended family and friends.

The family requests that condolence visits be made to her husband at their family home