Richard George Betteridge passed away on June 21, 2024 in Gahanna, Ohio, at the age of 101. Born on June 18, 1923, in Churchville, New York, Richard was the fourth child of the late Edwin and Sarah (Cody) Betteridge.
He proudly served in the United States Army during World War II from 1943 to 1945. His experiences during the war fueled his lifelong commitment to advocacy and public service. He advocated for numerous causes, including the future development of the Rochester NY airport, addressing Monroe County landfill concerns, and supporting the Gates-Chili Central School District teachers’ union. He served as president of the union for a time and engaged in salary negotiations while teaching middle school history. Most importantly, Richard and his wife Doris spent countless hours volunteering at ARC and caring for their developmentally disabled son, Alan. Richard was a founding parent of the local chapter of ARC and a recipient of their Cornerstone award standing for ingenuity, perseverance, and being integral in building and sustaining The ARC of Monroe. Richard was a dedicated middle school history teacher; earning his master’s degree from the University of Rochester. His passion for teaching and history left a lasting impact on countless students over the years. Although he played many roles, he still kept time for his hobbies including traveling, genealogy, baseball, bowling and golfing.
Above all he was a dedicated husband, father and grandfather. He is survived by his daughter Linda (Michael) Connolly; granddaughters Elizabeth (Quintin) Sanders and Erin (Joshua) Dowling; brother Ronald (Janet) Betteridge and 4 great grandchildren. Dick is preceded in death by his loving wife of 74 years Doris A. Betteridge and son, Alan Betteridge.
Richard Betteridge will be remembered for his unwavering dedication to his family, his community, and his country. A memorial service will be held for Richard at Walker Brothers Funeral Home, 15 West Ave. Spencerport, NY on July 1 at 10 am.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Richard’s memory to The ARC Foundation of Monroe 2060 Brighton Henrietta Town Line Rd Rochester, NY 14623 or arcmonroe.org/donate.
