Fort Kent--Elizabeth "Betty" Jalbert Pecoraro, an educator who served in school districts throughout Maine, died recently at her home in Fort Kent surrounded by family. She was 87.

Betty was a dedicated teacher and taught nearly every grade from elementary to high school—first in Madawaska, then in Caribou, Westbrook, Gardiner and Augusta. She moved home to Aroostook County to teach English and drama at Madawaska High School in 1979, retiring after more than 15 years there. She loved teaching and especially enjoyed the day-to-day encounters she had with her former students throughout the Saint John Valley.

She was deeply rooted in her plot of land on the Saint John Road, having spent much of her youth there before returning to build her own house in 1980.

Never one to sit still, Betty was planning and working on new gardening and home improvement projects until the last weeks of her life. Betty was a master gardener, transforming her land over the years from overgrown field to an oasis of flowers. One of Betty's many legacies, on view every Spring on the Saint John Road, is the colorful field of lupines and wildflowers she planted behind her barn.

After her retirement, Betty pursued her lifelong passion for the theater and took many trips to New York to see Broadway productions. She read widely and wrote everyday—everything from essays to strongly worded letters to her local papers. She also volunteered for community and state organizations, including her work with the St. John Valley Senior College as a charter member.

Betty was born in St. Francis in 1935 to Samuel and Delia (Jandreau) Jalbert, one of 11 children. Her father was a well-known hunting and fishing guide with sporting camps on the Allagash.

Betty attended the Madawaska Training School for two years before earning her Bachelor's in Education and Master's in Theater, both from the University of Maine Orono.

Betty was pre-deceased by her husband, Joseph Pecoraro. She is survived by her daughter, Ann Pecoraro, and her son, William Pecoraro; their respective spouses, Joseph Ogando and Danielle Dwyer; her sister, Peggy McGreal; many nieces and nephews; and her rescue dog, Bridget.

A celebration of Betty's life will be held at the Fort Kent Senior Citizens' Center on Saturday, October 29 from 12 to 3 p.m. The family requests a donation to the University of Maine at Fort Kent Foundation instead of flowers.