Obituary of Elizabeth (Betsy) Boyd Stevens

Elizabeth (Betsy) Boyd Stevens, age 91 of Duxbury, passed away peacefully on March 14, 2024 at the Duxbury House Memory Care Residence. She was the beloved wife of Frederick A. Stevens, Jr., to whom she was married for 70 years.

Betsy was born in Boston to Robert St. Barbe Boyd and Elizabeth Bigelow Boyd. She grew up in Milton and Duxbury, Massachusetts.  Betsy graduated from Milton Academy in 1950 and from Smith College in 1954. She was ordained by the Unitarian Universalist Association and received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School in 2003.

From 1971 to 1983, Betsy served as the Director of Religious Education at Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church in Alexandria, VA.  In 1984, she continued her career as Minister of Religious Education at First Church and Parish in Dedham, MA and retired in 2003.

After retirement, she was very active in a number of local and national organizations.  She was a volunteer for the DBMS “Women Under Way” program, a trustee of the Duxbury Cemetery, and a board member at the Council of Aging. In 2013, she was awarded the Duxbury Community Volunteer Award.  She also had long time memberships in the Duxbury Yacht Club and the Duxbury Garden Club, and served those organizations in several volunteer positions.

From childhood, her passion was sailing. She won her first season trophy in 1946 at age 14. She enjoyed sailboat racing in Duxbury Bay for many summers and received many South Shore trophies through the years. In 1979 and 1981, she won the Massachusetts Bay Women’s Championship. For many years, she and her husband also enjoyed cruising along the New England coast.

In addition to her husband, Fred, Betsy leaves her two children, Wyatt Stevens and his wife, Giselle, of Anacortes, WA, and Elizabeth (Lisa) Giannechini and her husband, Tony, of Dover, NH. She also leaves her two granddaughters, Alice Stevens of Lakewood, CA and Libby Giannechini of Portland, ME, her sister, Alexandra (Sandy) B. Earle of Providence, RI, and one great grandson.

A memorial service is planned at First Parish Church, Duxbury, MA on  Friday, April 5 at 1:30 pm.                         

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Duxbury Bay Maritime School at dbms.org or 457 Washington St., Duxbury, MA 02332.                                   .