Elizabeth Carlin Scannell passed peacefully in her sleep at her San Marino home on Sunday morning, April 25th.
Betty, as she was always known, was born in San Francisco to Dennis Carlin and Elizabeth Carlin (Farrell) in 1933. Both her mother and father immigrated to the U.S. from Ireland. Dennis Carlin owned several pubs in San Francisco and became a successful real estate investor.
Betty attended St. Cecilia Elementary School and Presentation High School where she was a star basketball player. She graduated from the College of Notre Dame of Belmont in California remaining lifelong friends with many of her classmates. She worked briefly as an elementary school teacher in the San Francisco Public Schools following graduation.
Betty married Dennis Scannell in 1959 in the Bay Area. After having their first two children, they moved several times throughout California, eventually settling in San Marino where they raised Dennis Jr., Elizabeth, Michael, and Patrick, all of whom graduated from San Marino High School. She held her family most dear and was a big part of her nine, much-loved grandchildren’s lives, rarely missing a sporting event, stage production or ceremony.
Active in the community throughout her life, Betty held leadership roles in the Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts, served as President of Valentine Elementary School PTA, volunteered regularly at the YMCA as a team leader in the annual fundraising campaign, and was an active part of the League of Women Voters. She was passionate about being well informed and making a difference.
Betty possessed a true sense of adventure. She loved to travel, visiting Europe for the first time after graduating from college and several times thereafter. She traveled to Mexico with her son Michael’s family and even made a trip to Australia with her daughter Elizabeth to visit her granddaughter Meghan Lodwick, who now lives in Melbourne with her family.
Betty was a fixture in local real estate as a successful agent for over forty years, working with the firms Gallery of Homes, Doan Harbison, and Coldwell Banker reaching the President’s Club level several times.
Skilled at the game of bridge, Betty partnered in twice weekly matches which she sorely missed in the pandemic. On Friday afternoons Betty could almost always be found at Julienne’s with her daughter enjoying her favorite food and conversation.
Her husband, Dennis, predeceased her by several years, as did her eldest sister, Dolores Kellenbach (Carlin). She is survived by her older brother and sister, Dennis (Sonny) Carlin and Maureen Sturla (Carlin).
Betty is also survived by her son Dennis Jr., daughter-in-law Jane Kamensky, and grandsons Calvin and Malcolm; her daughter Elizabeth Lodwick, granddaughter Meghan Lodwick, grandson-in-law Stephen Scoglio, and great-grandchildren Margot and Giacomo; son Michael, daughter-in-law Cynthia Scannell (Banks), granddaughters Elizabeth (Betsy), Meredith, Kathleen (Kate), and Delaney; and son Patrick, daughter-in-law Michelle Youtz, and grandchildren Aidan and Josephine.
A Memorial service will take place on July 2nd at Saints Felicitas & Perpetua in San Marino.
