Bette Myerson

Bette Myerson, 86, passed away on Sunday, March 15, 2026. Born to Pya “Fannie” (Mazer) and Jules Krems in New York City, Bette moved around a lot as a child, settling in Portland, Maine for her middle and high school years. Bette graduated from Boston University and received a master’s in education from the University of Maine Orono. She then moved to Hartford to begin a career as an English teacher. Bette married and settled in West Hartford where she remained for 60 years. Following the birth of her children, Bette went into social services work before returning to teaching as a substitute teacher. Bette leaves her daughters and sons-in-law Amy Myerson and Roy Kilgard and Ellen Myerson and Mark Hoover of West Hartford, Connecticut and Loreen Myerson and Aaron Margosian of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina; her grandchildren Spencer and Coltrane Margosian and Tabetha Kilgard; and her siblings Shelly Krems and his partner Ruth Love Barer, Ruth Krems, and Ken Krems; and many nieces and nephews and their families. Bette’s sister Helen Jacobson and her husband Harold and sisters-in-law Margie Krems and Carol Krems predeceased her. Bette was an avid gardener and loved good food, reading, and UConn basketball, especially UConn women! While raising three daughters on her own, she still made time for volunteer work. Her children have early memories going to vote with her, hearing her speak on behalf of Interval House, and helping to resettle Russian Jews during the 1980s. Bette championed progressive causes and was so proud her children grew up to continue her fight. While she encountered challenges in her last years, her granddogs frequently stepped in to make her laugh. Bette’s family would like to thank her caregivers Agatha and Ava, as well as Kim and Kathleen at Aviva. They would also like to thank Haley at AccentCare and Dr. Padilla. Annette at Home Instead was lovely during Bette’s last days. All showed such humanity and care for Bette. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Connecticut Foodshare, the ACLU, or a charity close to your heart that provides support for marginalized people. Services will be at Molloy Funeral Home at 906 Farmington Avenue in West Hartford on Thursday, March 19 at 11:00am.