Obituary of Elizabeth M. Boutselis

Elizabeth “Betty” M. Boutselis, 94, died on February 23, 2018, at Foxdale Village in State College, PA. Family was with her as she peacefully passed.

Born December 12, 1923, in Maple Grove Township, MI, Betty was the daughter of the late Joseph and Isabelle Indlekofer Eickholt.   On May 25, 1950, she married John George Boutselis, M.D., who preceded her in death on April 17, 1999.

Betty is survived by two children, John Gerard Boutselis, Sr. and his wife, Jennifer, of Canal Winchester, OH and Mary Ann Boutselis and her husband, Jeffrey Jackson, of Centre Hall, PA; two grandchildren, John Gerard Boutselis, Jr. of Canal Winchester and William Kenneth Jackson, who currently resides in Elizabethtown, PA where he attends college.

In addition to her parents and husband, Betty was preceded in death by her grandson, Daniel Richard Boutselis; brother, Kenneth Eickholt; and sister, Laurenda Eickholt.

Betty would readily describe herself as “just an old farmer,” identifying most strongly with her roots and attachment to the farming community and culture in rural Michigan.  Part of her family’s culture was valuing education, which was somewhat atypical of the surrounding community at that time.  As a teacher, Betty’s mother saw to it that each of her children attended college so, after graduating high school in Maple Grove, Betty earned two bachelor’s degrees, one  in Chemistry from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI and a second in Laboratory Technology from St. Louis University.  While at St. Louis University, Betty met her future husband who was in medical school at the time. After marrying, they briefly lived in West Point before John was sent to Okinawa. Betty followed, getting a position as a Lab Tech during the Korean War. They returned to the US in December, 1952 living in Ft. Belvoir VA until moving to Columbus OH in 1955. She relocated to State College in 2008.

Roman Catholic by faith, Betty was a member of St. Agatha Parish in Columbus and dedicated time to activities associated with St. Agatha’s Women’s Club, parish council, the Diocesan Child Guidance Center and to the Mt. Carmel Hospital. She was a voracious reader and loved her long-standing friends with whom she played bridge. Throughout  Betty’s life, the thread of her family’s roots in farming stayed with her and she maintained a passion for soil, flowers and anything that grew. In her sixties, became a certified master gardener.

Betty will be remembered as a strong, intelligent, plain-spoken woman who always enjoyed a laugh and was up for an adventure.  She was clear about what was right and wrong. This, along with strong faith, allowed her to approach   life from a simple, purposeful perspective. Betty will most be remembered as an exceedingly generous person who was quick to lend a hand and to share her time and resources.

A private service and burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery in Reynoldsburg, OH.

Memorial contributions may be directed to Catholic Social Services at www.colscss.org or The Fisher Alzheimer’s Research Foundation at www.alzinfo.org  in memory of Elizabeth M. Boutselis.

Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com.