Elizabeth Gunsallus Obituary

Elizabeth M. Gunsallus 1944-2024

Elizabeth M. “Bets” Gunsallus, beloved daughter, sister, aunt, and friend, died suddenly at the age of 79. She was born to John E. Gunsallus, Sr. and Mary J. (nee Cunius) Gunsallus of Drexel Hill on August 16, 1944; their fourth child and only daughter.

Bets graduated from Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School in 1962, and began a career with Bell Telephone as an information operator where she worked her way up to switchman before retiring from Verizon Communications after 37 years of service. She was a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America. 

Bets was a social butterfly in her youth and enjoyed hosting and attending parties where she entertained her friends with skits of Edith Ann from Saturday Night Live. Due to her small stature, she was a natural!  She loved taking trips, traveling with dear friends, Bernie and Anne, to Bermuda and the Bahamas, down the shore, cruises, and fishing trips to Fortescue with her dad. 

Friends and family know that Bets was a sports enthusiast, especially for NASCAR and football. She loved her Eagles, Penn State and the college teams of her nieces and nephews, as well as the Phillies. 

Bets loved to bake and would share family recipes and goodies with friends and relatives, such as fruit breads, strawberry shortcake, and pizzelles. Bets also worked at Linvilla Orchards for seven years, where she delighted in baking and serving customers.

Bets also sincerely loved animals and always had dogs and cats as pets. She felt strongly about pet adoptions and rescues, and even rescued several greyhounds herself. In retirement, she enjoyed pet sitting and dog walking, and entertained her great-nieces and nephews during the summers at what she jokingly called ‘Camp Kennel.’ 

Bets was preceded in death by her parents and her three brothers, Jack (John Jr.) Gunsallus, Paul Gunsallus, and Michael Gunsallus, as well as her sister-in-law Maureen Gunsallus and nephew Michael Gunsallus, Jr. She is survived by her nieces, Rosemary (Bill) Trent of Manassas, VA, Joanne (Marvin) Morris of Acworth, GA, Susan (Ken) Parrish of Broomall, PA, and Jacquelyn “Lyn” (Dan) Kuciemba of Caldwell, TX, her sisters-in-heart, Bernie Callazzo and Anne Rossillo, her sister-in-law, Roberta “Bonnie” Gunsallus, as well as numerous other nieces and nephews, great and great-great nieces and nephews, friends, and extended family. 

A Mass of Christian burial will be on Friday, April 19, 2024 at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Bryn Mawr, PA at 11:00AM.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the ASPCA.