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Betsey Blake Harwood

1943-2021

Betsey Blake Harwood

No one was more surprised than Betsey Harwood to be still going strong a few years past her "best before" date. In 2017, a doctor had told her she had perhaps two years left. Her health had been deteriorating for years.

But here she was, enjoying life, creating art, and spending time with the family she adored.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, on August 16, 1943, Betsey was the daughter of Jack and Madeleine (Arrowsmith) Harwood. She is survived by her beloved daughter Catherine Metzger-Silver, son-in-law Jeffrey Donald Silver, and granddaughter Olivia.

She was proud of her art and of what she accomplished in business at a time when women faced many obstacles. But she was most proud of Catherine and Olivia.

Betsey had never wanted a conventional life. After serving a stint in a women’s junior college and finishing school, she fled to Kent State University to resume her studies in art. While she was at Kent, two of her glass pieces were exhibited in the First Glass National show and toured the United States. Her ceramics were shown at the Cleveland Museum and several other places in the tri-state area.

In January 1967, she found herself on the Bluenose Ferry in rough seas, heading for Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. She and her new husband, Frank, were moving to Halifax. When they were down to their last $13, Betsey landed a job in social work at the Children’s Aid Society – and got her first paycheque the day the money ran out. She remained a social worker for nearly four years before enrolling in NSCD for a second Bachelor of Fine Arts. Barely three months into the program, she became pregnant with Catherine. As Betsey described it, she was getting ring-around-the-belly at the potter’s wheel. She graduated in 1972.

While she was visiting her mother in Cleveland for a week, baby Catherine in tow, Frank phoned to say he’d made a deal on a restaurant. It was tiny, only about eight by sixteen feet, and the absence of a liquor licence made turning a profit nearly impossible. So, armed with big white china teapots bought at the Halifax Shopping Centre, Betsey bootlegged Chateau Lafitte Haut-brion and other fine wines. She would discreetly show diners the "tea list" and enquire whether they would like white tea or red tea with their dinner. When the restaurant moved to its well-known location on Spring Garden Road (and qualified for a liquor licence), its reputation only grew.

In 1988, they decided to semi-retire, and Betsey sold her Halifax business interests. A "for sale" sign on a beautiful historic home on Wolfville’s Main Street caught her eye. The sale closed August 31st, 1988, a date she could always recall in an instant. While renovations to what would become the Tattingstone Inn were creating a strong foundation for her new business, the marriage was crumbling, and Betsey and Frank divorced.

On May 16th, 1989 – another date she could recall instantly – Betsey opened the Tattingstone Inn. She operated it as a successful business for 20 years until she retired and sold it in 2009.

Betsey wanted Tattingstone to be a place where you stepped over the threshold, left the world behind, and relaxed. And it was. She watched people get engaged, marry, and later bring their children. She remembered one couple who were guests for so long that they brought their now-grown-up child back to Wolfville for university.

During the restaurant and Tattingstone years, Betsey’s art was mostly on hold. But when she retired, it blossomed. She took a painting class to learn techniques in oils and felt better than she had in years – she said the painting enlivened her. She continued with the lessons, meeting new people and renewing acquaintances with other local artists.

Betsey was a gifted artist. Besides taking part in group shows, she had solo exhibits at ArtCan Gallery in Canning, CentreStage Theatre in Kentville, and the Wolfville library.

She was also a writer with a flair for comedy. In 2014, her play "Full Moon on a Saturday Night" was selected for performance at the annual King’s Shorts Festival in Annapolis Royal. And she was a dedicated journal keeper through the Tattingstone years and beyond.

Betsey was a Rotarian with the Rotary Club of Wolfville on and off for more than 20 years. She was also a member of the Port Williams United Baptist Church and a proud member of the Loyal Workers within the church.

Due to COVID pandemic and gathering restrictions, a private service (by invitation) will be held in the Port Williams United Baptist Church. A video webcast of the service will be available at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, October 1, 2021.

Family flowers only, please. Late in life, as she reflected on what mattered most to her, Betsey realized it was living life well – not in terms of kicking up her heels, but in terms of doing what she could for other people and accomplishing as much as she could with what she’d been given. And to try to leave the world better.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kentville. For on-line inquiries, condolences or to view the webcast, please visit www.whitefamilyfuneralhome.com

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Service Location
Private - by invitation in Port William United Baptist Church

Burial Location
Willowbank Cemetery