Betty Wedderburn

Betty (Hodgkinson) Wedderburn, 79, of Cranston, Rhode Island and Lake Worth, Florida passed away in Florida on Friday December 13, 2019 after a brief illness. She was the devoted wife of the late Charles Norris Wedderburn. Born on September 6, 1940 in Fall River, Massachusetts to William G. and Mildred (Simpson) Hodgkinson, she was raised in Providence and Barrington, Rhode Island, moving to Cranston in 1975. She wintered in Lucerne Pointe, Lake Worth, Florida since 2001.

Betty is survived by her loving son, Charles “Chip” William Benjamin Wedderburn and his wife, Marta (Lage) Wedderburn, and by her two cherished grandsons, Ethan Charles and Logan Richard Wedderburn. She also leaves behind a brother, John T. Hodgkinson of Statesville, NC. 

She was educated in Providence and Barrington public schools, and graduated from the University of Rhode Island and the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica. She was a social worker for Rhode Island Child Welfare Services and was a teacher for the Providence School Department where she was a nominee for “Teacher of the Year”. After retiring, Betty worked as a teacher in the Diocese of Providence and the Urban League of Rhode Island. She represented the State of Rhode Island at the New York World’s Fair and was on the Board of Directors of the former Wanskuck Boys & Girls Club.

Betty was a former member of the Rhode Island Civic Chorale and the Players at Barker Playhouse. She was an active participant in the community at Lucerne Pointe and was proud of her accomplishments there. She enjoyed spending time with her family sharing laughs, stories and traditions. Betty touched the lives of so many people and cherished her friendships dearly. In addition, she enjoyed traveling, reading, doing crafts, genealogy and entertaining.

There will be a Memorial celebrating the lives of Betty and her beloved husband, Charles (who passed away on September 15, 2019) held on Sunday January 5, 2020 at 4:00pm in The Butterfield Chapel 500 Pontiac Avenue in Cranston followed by dinner at Chapel Grille also in Cranston, In lieu of flowers, a contribution to a favorite charity would be appreciated.

The song is ended, but the melody lingers on… By Irving Berlin