Elizabeth Hayes

Betty Hayes, 97, long-time former resident of Stamford, CT, passed away peacefully in her cherished oceanfront home in Pompano Beach, FL, with close family at her side.
Betty was born to John B. and Maria (Boxhorn) Dietl in Siegenfurt, Germany. She immigrated to the US at age 8 when she rejoined her parents after almost as many years’ separation. Once here, she learned English, attended local schools, obtained her GED, and began work as a telephone operator at SNET. She then worked in the catering business for some years, and later joined the Union Trust Company where she had a successful career, ultimately working as a mortgage officer. After retiring from the bank, she served as a loving and compassionate caregiver for decades more. Betty was an active volunteer, especially at the Stamford YMCA, teaching swimming, cardiac rehab, aerobics, and aqua therapy. She was a longtime parishioner of St. John’s, and later Saint Benedict’s churches.
Betty’s selflessness and dedication to helping everyone she could is perhaps her most striking and unforgettable characteristic. Her willingness to put the needs of others before her own is a powerful reminder of the importance of compassion and empathy. While Betty accomplished much in her life, she also endured a great deal of sorrow, loss, pain. Through it all, she remained loving, forgiving, and strong, always choosing to live in the present and focus on her blessings. She was generous to a fault with all around her, loved spending time with family and friends, and was committed to making sure everyone was always taken care of. Betty also loved fitness and exercise, especially swimming in the ocean. She also relished soaking up sunshine, caring for animals, getting a bargain, and having clean windows and floors. She was adventuresome and retained her youthful spirit, sharp wit, and flexible, open mind until the end.
Betty is survived by her daughter, Diane, brothers John W. (Elizabeth) and Richard, granddaughters Kimberly Larsen and Suzanne Rogers (Steven), great-grandchildren Sienna and Cameron (Rogers), and many nieces and nephews, cousins, and many beloved friends. She was predeceased by her husbands, George W. Bates and James Hayes, sons Robert Bates and Jim Hayes, daughter Susan Larsen, stepdaughter Judy Hayes, and sister, Wilhelmina Polka. Betty leaves a legacy of love and compassion for the many she loved unconditionally, an indelible mark on the lives of all those blessed to know her, and a void as deep as the ocean in the hearts of those who loved her.
A funeral procession will leave the Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home, 104 Myrtle Avenue, Stamford, CT 06902 on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 at 9:30 AM for a Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at 10:00 AM at Benedict’s R.C. Church, 21 St. Benedict Circle, Stamford, CT. Interment will follow at St. John’s Cemetery, Darien.
Family and friends may call at the funeral home on Monday, April 29, 2024 from 4:00 – 8:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Betty’s memory to Covenant House International, 461 Eighth Avenue, NY, NY 10001, https://www.covenanthouse.org
To leave online condolences please visit http://www.cognetta.com