Obituary of Betty L. Orlando

Elizabeth Betty (Bettina) Curcio Orlando, 94, passed away January 17, 2015. Betty was born June 24, 1920 in Belfast, NY. She was the youngest of 11 children of Joseph and Katherine Procopio Curcio. After graduating in 1937 from Belfast High School, she attended Houghton College where she studied art. During WWII she worked at Curtis Wright, Buffalo Arms and Lindy Air. Betty also served as a Bond Girl for the war effort. Betty's first teaching job was as an art teacher in Herkimer, NY in 1948. For many years she taught special education in Olean Public Schools. She then went back to college and graduated from SUNY Geneseo in 1972. She taught at Geneseo Central School and St. Patrick's School in Mt. Morris until it closed. She took great pride in coming from a family of teachers and preparing her students for the future. Betty loved to tell stories of growing up in a large family with immigrant Italian parents during both hard and good times. Betty was a woman of many talents. She loved all aspects of art, especially water color and oil painting. She made hundreds of soft sculpture animals and dolls. Betty enjoyed a good game of Scrabble and always did the daily crossword puzzles. Betty is survived by her daughter, Kristine "Tina" Drew Worrell and husband Sam of Clermont, FL, her son Frank Orlando and wife Ilene of Mt. Morris and daughter Linda Orlando Driver and husband Bruce of San Diego, CA, 6 grandchildren, Christopher Worrell, Benjamin Worrell, Matthew Orlando, Rob Orlando, Sarah Driver and Dan Driver, 4 great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews. Betty was predeceased by her husband of 58 years, Frank Orlando, brothers, Sam Curcio and Dom Curcio, sisters, Mary Sweet, Josephine Curcio, Rose Dehn, Christina Scoville, Teresa Phippen Williams, Ermena Dorrenbacher Baldwin, Virginia Isenhart Reele and Ann McLaughlin Fish. Betty was a longtime member of St. Mary's Church in Geneseo. A Memorial Mass will be held there for her on June 26, 2015 at 10:30 AM. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Wadsworth Library, 24 Center St., Geneseo, NY 14454 for the specific purchase of large print books.