Elizabeth "Betty" Benson

Elizabeth “Betty” Benson, age 85, beloved wife, mother, grandma, and sister, passed away June 19, 2023. She is survived by her children Mary and Leo; grandchildren Megan, Evan, Emma, Sabrina, Curtis, and Fiona; sisters Mary Jo, Carol, Trudy, and Connie; and several extended family members and friends. She was proceeded in death by her loving husband Francis “Bud” Benson, her son Greg, and her brother Steve.

Betty was born in Iowa as the first child of Joseph and Mary Walsh. At an early age Betty realized she wanted to be a nurse and after High School attended St. Catherine’s School of Nursing in Omaha, Nebraska.  After graduating, she worked as a nurse in Nebraska for 18 months and then moved to Colorado where she met and married her husband, Bud. They settled in Broomfield and lived in their home for over 50 years.  Betty was a loving and devoted wife and mom, and she felt lucky to be able to take a break from nursing to stay home with her 3 children while they were younger. In 1982 she went back to work in the Oncology Unit at Lutheran Medical Center for three years. She had a gift and compassion for working with patients with terminal illness and was asked if she would be interested in helping start a hospice program. In 1985 she became one of the founders of Exempla Lutheran Hospice and held several roles over the years including Nursing Coordinator of Inpatient Unit/Home care programs, Community Liaison/Educator, and Quality Improvement Coordinator.  Betty also became a Certified Bereavement Facilitator, a trainer for the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium and served on the board of the Colorado Healthcare Ethics Forum.  Her dedication and service earned her a nomination for the Nightingale Award in 1991, the Cochran Education Award for Excellence in the Care of Cancer Patients in 1994, and the Spirit of Hospice Award in 2003. 

Outside of work, Betty enjoyed spending time with family and friends, gardening, cooking/baking, reading, and music.  She also had a strong faith in God which gave her the strength to help others, friends, family, and herself through difficult times over the years. She was truly a beautiful soul with a giving spirit and will be dearly missed. 

A Funeral Mass and reception will be held at 11:00 AM on July 12^th at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church, 900 West Midway Boulevard, Broomfield, Colorado, 80020.  https://www.nool.us/.   A graveside service will be held at 2:30pm Thursday, July 13^th at Fort Logan National Cemetery. 

Memorial donations may be made in Betty’s honor to:  Lutheran Medical Center Foundation:  https://www.sclhealth.org/locations/lutheran-medical-center-foundation/donate/, and/or Elevation Hospice / Adams County; https://sagefoc.com/elevation-co/#locations