Obituary of Betty B. Vespi

LITTLE FALLS – Betty B. Vespi, age 94, a lifelong Mohawk Valley resident, passed away peacefully on Monday evening, January 25, 2021 at Valley Health Services in Herkimer. Born on July 2, 1926, Betty was the daughter of the late Roland and Carrie Melissa (Carnright) Pierce. She was raised and educated locally and upon her graduation from Utica Free Academy she went on to continue her education. Betty was a woman ahead of her time and proudly received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from Nathan Littauer School of Nursing in Gloversville. She went on to begin her career as a Registered Nurse for Little Falls Hospital in December of 1947 and for nearly twenty years, gained experience in the various nursing departments. In 1968, Betty took over as the Night Supervisor and in 1973 was promoted to Director of Nursing. The entirety of her thirty-five-year career was spent at Little Falls Hospital and the people of this community were the benefactors of her hard work and dedication. She was a well-known and well-respected nursing professional in our area. Not only was Betty a proactive advocate for her patients but for the underprivileged and underserved in her community as well. She was a well-loved volunteer for various community service organizations and an advocate for social justice. She was a longtime parishioner of Holy Family Parish in Little Falls Betty is survived by her children, John Vespi of Pleasanton, California, James Vespi of Cary, North Carolina, Julie Vickery of Columbia, South Carolina and Mary McMahon of Ilion, New York; along with eight grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, Julio J. Vespi on June 25, 1973, her parents, one brother and one sister. A memorial service will take place in the Spring of 2021 at the Enea Family Funeral Home, 24 West Monroe Street, Little Falls, NY (315) 823-2424 with final interment in St. Mary’s Cemetery, East Herkimer. A date and time will be announced. Betty’s final wishes were pre-arranged and entrusted to Harry and Kevin Enea and Martin L. Ciaccia, Funeral Directors. Online notes of sympathy may be left at www.eneafamily.com.