Obituary of Elizabeth Wright Kearns

KEARNS Elizabeth "Betsy" Wright died on April 28th at her home in Darien, CT. By her side was her beloved husband of more than 50 years, Thomas F. Kearns, Jr. Born on August 5, 1936, Betsy was the daughter of Melba Chamblee and Paul Wright of Durham, NC, where she grew up and earned a degree in English at Duke University. She then received a Masters in English from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Betsy and Tom were married in 1959 and lived in North Carolina before moving to Darien in 1969. Ever curious, Betsy earned her second Masters in 1981 this one in Anthropology from Columbia University. The following year she co-founded Historical Perspectives, the first woman-owned urban archeological firm. Her eclectic work with Sixth Avenue Corridor Rezoning, Fulton Landing Development, the American Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Modern Art and the Botanical Garden led her to become a foremost scholar of the history of New York City. Betsy was also a prominent advocate of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and a constant supporter of the arts, her interest ranging from bold, struggling theatre groups to Carnegie Hall and the New York Philharmonic. Betsy was a loving mother to Elizabeth W. Kearns of Providence, RI; Thomas F. Kearns III of New York City and Caroline Kearns Schernecker of Brookline, MA; magical guide to four grandchildren and devoted sister to Paul Wright III of Alexandria, VA. Memorial service: Wednesday, May 26 at 11 AM, Holy Trinity Church, 213 West 82nd Street, Manhattan. The Edward Lawrence Funeral Home, Darien, CT handled the arrangements. Memorial donations: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Attn: Dr. Paul Sabbatini, MD P.O. Box 27106, New York, NY 10087-7106. Funeral Home: Edward Lawrence Funeral Home 2119 Post Road Darien, CT USA 06820