Elizabeth I. Balcavage

Elizabeth Anne Ingram Balcavage (Betsy) peacefully came to the end of her amazing life on December 15, 2021, at her home in Terre Haute, Indiana.  She was born on November 5 ^th , 1935, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Calvin and Amy Ingram.  She married Walter Xavier Balcavage on September 3 ^rd , 1955, in Lancaster.  Betsy and Walt were married for 66 years.

After marriage, their lives took them to Delaware, where she worked and studied at the University of Delaware while Walt worked on his Ph.D.  Work then took them to Baltimore, MD where they started their family.  In 1971 Walt and Betsy moved to Terre Haute, where Walt took a job at Indiana University School of Medicine.

Terre Haute became their final home, where they raised their family.  Betsy became an active member at St. Ann’s parish and school, where she served on the school board, taught Sunday school, and was involved in many activities that supported the community. The friends made became family that were with her throughout her life.

Betsy was independent, inspiring first her daughter and then her granddaughters to find their own voices and live to their potential.

Betsy loved to travel and was fortunate to be able to see the world with Walt and her family.  She traveled throughout Europe and further afield to Australia.  One of her favorite places was in the British Virgin Islands, where she celebrated both her 50 ^th and 60 ^th wedding anniversaries with her children and grandchildren.  She also loved traveling in the US, spending many summer vacations at the Outer Banks, with winter getaways to St George’s Island.  She enjoyed San Francisco, as well as the Broadway lights of NYC.  She also sailed a lot with Walt, which included a leisurely two-and-a-half-month trip from Lake Erie to Key West.

Betsy and Walt have two children, Liz (Hugh) Lyshkow of Bath, England, and Win (Elisabete) Balcavage of Cincinnati, OH.  She has four granddaughters Yael (17), Zara (14), Maya (14), and Isabella (12).

Betsy’s greatest joys in life always involved her family and friends.  She was a wonderful wife and best friend to Walter, and a caring and loving Mother, Grandmother, Mother-in-Law, Aunt, and friend to so many fortunate people that came into her life.  Beyond traveling she also loved her Vigo County home where she lived at for 44 years, sitting out on her deck and watching the wide variety of wildlife that flew, swam and walked into her life.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and siblings Alice Kimmich and Eddie Ingram, in-laws Walter and Agnes Balcavage, sister-in-law Pat Rajkowski, and many dear, dear friends.

A private family service will be held on December 21 ^st , and a gathering to celebrate her life will be scheduled in the coming weeks.