Betty Cohn Simpson
January 12, 1950 - April 10, 2023
Betty Cohn Simpson, of Olympic Valley, California, passed away peacefully on April 10, 2023, in Denver, Colorado, surrounded by her family and friends. She was 73.
Betty was born on January 12, 1950, in New York City, to Stephen and Ruth Cohn (née Rosenbaum). She attended elementary and high school in Glen Cove, New York, and graduated from Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. She went on to receive a Master of Social Work from Columbia University in New York City.
Betty had a private clinical psychotherapy practice for 40 years and volunteered for decades running Support After Neonatal Death (SAND), a pregnancy loss support group at Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley, California. She brought warmth and compassion to her work, and she found fulfillment in helping others work through deeply personal challenges.
Betty was an avid skier from a young age, a passion that fueled her throughout her life. She loved to ski “bell to bell”, earning the nickname "Betty One More," always coaxing her friends and family to take another run before the lifts stopped spinning. When the ski season was over, Betty could be found on her road bike, full of energy, sharing rides with friends and family. With her steadfast vitality and spirit of adventure, Betty traveled extensively in search of the best ski and bicycle terrain - from the U.S. and Europe to Asia, including heli-skiing in Canada and Alaska. Betty shared her love for athletic pursuits and travel with her two daughters, “the girls,” who were her favorite adventure buddies. Betty was herself until the end, finding the will to ski, bike, and travel even through her year-long battle with pancreatic cancer.
While adventuring was important to Betty, her greatest strength was her ability to connect with others - friends, family, and even strangers. Everywhere she went and stayed, she made friends. She built and nurtured deep, lifelong relationships, and she maintained particularly close relationships with her daughters. She loved so many and was loved by many in return. That is her greatest legacy.
Betty is survived by her husband of 50 years, Mark Simpson, her two daughters, Natalie and Erica (Brianna), and her sister, Nancy Richer (Robert).
A celebration of Betty's life will be held in Olympic Valley this summer.
Donations
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
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