Elizabeth (Betty) Jane LeRoy,

May 15, 1933 - December 18, 2024

Betty was the only child of Raymond and Bertha Miles. In 1958, she married Winston LeRoy. She lived much of her life in Newport, Vermont and graduated from Newport High School in 1951. From 1951 to 1955, she attended Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont and graduated with her Bachelor of Arts degree (Phi Beta Kappa) with majors in French and English. In 1982, she received her Master's degree in Education from the University of Vermont, followed by a Certificate of Advanced Study in administration.

Betty became an educator with her first job, teaching French and Latin at Peoples Academy in Morrisville, Vermont from 1955 to 1958. Education became her lifelong profession and passion. She continued her teaching career at the Derby Academy in Derby, Vermont (1958-1960), Newport High School (1963-1967) (French and Social Studies), then North Country Union High School (1967-1981) (French and English).

During her time at NCUHS, Betty was also the Foreign Language Department Chairperson. In 1981 she started the first high school foreign language exchange program in Vermont. The companion school was in Asnières, France, outside of Paris. She devoted herself to making the program thrive with fundraising, including annual spaghetti dinners, and sponsors for students. To save the program money, she got her school bus driver's license so she could drive when the French students came here. And she opened her home to her French colleagues during their visits. In 1987 she was awarded Vermont's Teacher of the Year.

In 1987, Betty became principal of the North Country Union Junior High School. From there, she moved to Director of Curriculum and Instruction at NCUHS until 1998. During this time, Betty was chosen as the National Distinguished Principal for the state of Vermont. In 1998, she became principal at Craftsbury Academy in Craftsbury, Vermont.

In 2002, she retired . Or as Betty liked to say she "remained dedicated to education and just slowed down." Betty was on the board of the Area Agency on Aging and did volunteer work at the Old Stone House as well as the Northeast Kingdom Spay/ Neuter Program.

She lived in Glover, in the house she had designed, overlooking Lake Parker. She also filled her time with her beloved dogs, even writing two illustrated books about Parker and Berry. There were days of hiking, kayaking and working outdoors, classes at the Swimming Hole in Stowe and elaborate Christmas gatherings with great food, good company and a fun round of Yankee Swap.

In 2017 Betty moved to Copley Woodlands in Stowe, Vermont. She enjoyed an active regime of exercise, poetry and books. And she loved sitting on her patio with her dogs, Sami and Tico.

Betty is survived by her two daughters, Karen and Linda.

Donations in her memory may be made to Craftsbury Academy to establish a scholarship for a senior who plans to enter the teaching field, or to the Area Agency on Aging.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date