IRVINGTON—Betsy Painter Stafford Elliott passed away surrounded by family on January 14, 2023, after a nearly decade-long battle against Alzheimer’s disease at Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury retirement facility in Irvington.
Born in Pearisburg on September 23, 1935, to Chester and Elizabeth Stafford, Betsy was a best friend and maternal figure to her younger brother C. Jefferson Stafford (deceased in 1990). Her father was the Giles County Commonwealth’s Attorney for 16 years, and her brother and grandfather served in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Betsy graduated from Pearisburg High School as valedictorian and was the top vote recipient in four of the six superlative categories her senior year including “Best All Around” and “Most Likely to Succeed” (she missed on most organized, which didn’t come as a huge surprise).
Betsy attended The College of William & Mary playing first chair trumpet in their concert band all four years and was involved in more activities than any reasonable person would take on…but that was Betsy.
She married Frank H. Elliott on June 14, 1958. She gave birth to three beautiful sons whom she adored. After her children were in school, Frank encouraged Betsy to follow her desire to pursue a career in law as her brother and father had before her. In 1973, Betsy enrolled in law school at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and upon graduating, passed the bar on her first attempt (unlike her driver’s license test – that one took her four attempts, one of which involved a minor traffic accident with the test administrator in the passenger’s seat).
After a short stint as a defense attorney in a private practice she established, Betsy took a position as assistant attorney general for the Commonwealth of Virginia, later being promoted to Senior Special Counsel for Child Support Enforcement.
Friends of Betsy recall her as an unassuming person with a heart of gold who seemed disorganized, but accomplished things beyond belief. If you didn’t know her well, you might mistake her generous ways and easy-going attitude as a pushover. But anyone who ever challenged her in a game of intellect quickly learned she was anything but. Thankfully, she was a gracious winner and had compassion for people that rivaled her competitive spirit.
Betsy loved antiquing, reading and participating in church activities including many years as a choir member at Messiah United Methodist Church in Springfield and later in Kilmarnock United Methodist Church.
Betsy was buried at the historic colonial-era Christ Church cemetery in Weems on January 27, 2023, and her husband, Frank, (deceased February 10, 2024) is buried right next to her.
She and Frank are survived by her three sons, David, Michael and John Elliott and their wives; seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild (so far). She will be greatly missed.
