Elizabeth Marie Nichols (Betty), 92, of Albany, NY, and New York, NY, and formerly of Rutland, VT, passed away peacefully on January 27, 2022 at the Teresian House in Albany, NY.

Born on January 29, 1929, in Rutland, VT, to Harold (former mayor of Rutland) and Mary Fox Nichols, Betty was the third of five children. Raised in Rutland, Betty attended Christ the King School and Mount St. Joseph Academy (Class of 1946) where she was taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph.  While in high school, she was member of the Sodality, the Glee Chorus, the Junior Catholic Daughters and the Red Cross Unit.

After high school, Betty spent a year working for the Rutland Telephone Company. During this time, she was contacted by Fr. Fitzsimons, the Mount St. Joseph Academy Principal, who suggested that she go to Bishop DeGoesbriand Hospital in Burlington, VT, and study nursing. She agreed. Betty spent the next three years in Burlington, working and studying to be an RN through the hospital's partnership with the University of Vermont College of Medicine. At the end of the three years, she received her RN degree.

Betty remained in Burlington working at Bishop DeGoesbriand Hospital for a few years. While there, she developed friendships with the nuns from the order of Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph who taught at the hospital. Betty felt that she had a calling to the religious life, so she left Burlington to enter a convent in New York. Betty joined the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm so that she could serve the elderly using her training as an RN. She spent most of her time as a Carmelite caring for patients at the Mary Manning Walsh Home in New York, where she also helped develop a program for home health aides. While in the convent, a fellow nun, Sr. Pauline, asked Betty if she would study physical therapy with her. Betty accepted, and they both received degrees in physical therapy from NYU.

After some time with Carmelites, she left the Order and continued her nursing work at a variety of NYC-rooted health care systems including Rockefeller University Hospital, and the Jewish Home and Hospital for the Aged.

In 2016, she moved to Albany where she could be closer to her family and receive medical care at the Teresian House. While it was very hard for her to leave Manhattan, a place she called home for over 60 years, she loved being near her family.

Betty was a woman of tremendous character who dedicated her life to caring for others as a nurse, as a physical therapist, as a Carmelite sister and as a friend. Her kindness, compassion, selfless nature and "go getter" attitude made her an exceptional advocate and a true champion for others. Betty was a very outgoing, vivacious, and adventurous person. She was a deeply loyal and loving friend who touched the lives of so many. She was affectionately referred to as "Auntie Mame", because of her spunk, her lively personality and her love of adventure. Betty loved a party and she was always the life of the party. Whether she was dressing up as Mrs. Claus or dancing around the living room, she was always up for anything. She could always be seen buzzing from conversation to conversation. It wasn't a party until Betty arrived!

Betty truly had an abiding faith, and she was a wonderful exemplar of faith to her family. She was a very active member of her parish, Our Lady of Peace, in Manhattan. As a Eucharistic Minister, she distributed communion in church and brought communion to the homebound. She was also active in the RCIA program where she sponsored candidates entering the Catholic Church, and she worked tirelessly in various ministries with seniors. Betty frequently attended daily Mass in NYC and more recently at the Teresian House. She went on many retreats and especially enjoyed the ladies retreats she attended with her sister-in-law, Ginny Nichols, and the National Catholic Charismatic conferences she went to with her sister and brother-in-law, Jean and Angelo Valente.

Betty enjoyed traveling. She took many trips to Spain, Portugal, England, Ireland, France, Antigua and several US states. Betty's favorite trip was to Italy, and she especially loved Rome. She had a passion for photography and took pictures wherever she went. She left her family with the beautiful gift of many photo albums that she had put together over the years.

Betty was a huge Mets fan and Notre Dame Football fan and rarely missed watching a game on TV or listening to one on the radio. She also loved animals and had two cats during her years in Manhattan. One of them she brought back from her grandparents' farm in VT.

Betty always said that the greatest joy of her life was knowing her nieces and nephews and her great nieces and nephews. She was so proud of them and they loved her. She took them on many tours and trips, her favorites involved water – whether it was an afternoon sailboat ride around Battery Park, a three-night cruise on the Mystic Whaler or a seven-day cruise to Bermuda, she loved spending time with them and was always up for an adventure. She hosted them in NYC where she would give phenomenal tours of the city which included the United Nations, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Battery Park. The fun continued in the evenings with Broadway shows, wonderful dinners out and finished with card games or backgammon. She was a devoted and supportive aunt who attended every major event in her nieces' and nephews' lives. Even into her 80's, before finally moving to Albany, she would hop on a bus from Port Authority to spend time with her family in CT, NJ or Upstate NY.

Betty is survived by her nephews, Patrick Nichols (Marianne) of Franklin, NJ, Basil Valente, OFM, of New York, NY, the Right Rev. Kevin Nichols (Patti) of Bethlehem, PA, and Angelo Valente, Jr. (Ariel Byrne) of Boston, MA, her nieces Mary Conklin (Joel) of Clifton Park, NY, Katie Churchill (Jim) of Windsor, CT, Elizabeth Klotz (Mark) of Ballston Spa, NY, and Sundy Nichols of Orlando, FL, and many great nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Janice Nichols of Kissimmee, FL, and many dear friends who have been such a source of love and support for Betty throughout her life.

Betty was the last surviving member of her family. She was predeceased by her sister, Eugenia (Jean) Valente and by her brothers John Nichols, M.D., Thomas Nichols, and H. Basil Nichols. She was also predeceased by her close friend and roommate for many years, Mary Tacchelli.

Memorial contributions in the name of Elizabeth Nichols may be made to The Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province, 129 West 31st Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001, or to the Teresian House, 200 Washington Ave Ext, Albany, NY 12203.

There will be no calling hours.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be announced at a later date.

Arrangements are under the direction of the William J. Burke & Sons/Bussing & Cunniff Funeral Homes, 628 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (518-584-5373).

Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefuneralhome.com