Elizabeth Seaver Curtler

Betsy Curtler, of Bloomfield, Connecticut and formerly of Richmond, Virginia, died on April 25, 2024. She is survived by her husband Robert Sedivy; by her daughter Emily Wagner, Emily’s wife Natalie Wagner, and their children Elizabeth (“Eliza”), Josie, Theo, and Catherine; by her sisters Carolyn O’Flaherty and Susan Seaver; and by her brother Jack Seaver. Betsy was born in Kansas City, Missouri and grew up mostly in the Washington, DC area. She received her bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in English from Duke University. She taught English at the University of Richmond and then moved to administration. Her specialty became corporate, government, and foundation grants. She worked in that capacity for six years at George Washington University but spent the majority of her career at the University of Richmond. She took a genuine interest in each project and faculty member she worked with, immersing herself in their subject matter and becoming deeply curious and excited about the projects she helped develop. This resulted in lasting friendships with colleagues whom she treasured. She secured funding for long-term research programs in the sciences as well as funding for programing that brought together interdisciplinary faculty to develop new approaches to undergraduate teaching. After her retirement, she taught a section of the University’s Core course, for which she had also secured the funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Betsy enjoyed painting in her retirement, was a voracious reader, and could spend hours in museums—and their gift shops. She could name any local plant species and grew an absurd number of peonies, her favorites. She also loved music, which she believed should be played loudly, and spent as much time as she could at Tanglewood during the summers. She had several cherished life-long friendships, and family was of central importance in her life. Her relationship with her brother and sisters was characterized by a shared warmth for each other and near-constant laughter. She loved her grandchildren above all else and moved from Virginia to Connecticut over a decade ago to be near them. She carefully cultivated a relationship with each grandchild, knowing and admiring them for exactly who they are. She was an ideal grandmother—providing her grandkids the perfect mixture of unconditional love and mischief. Betsy worked hard to make others feel welcome and cared for and somehow made that important work look effortless and fun. She had a giant intellect, a booming laugh, and a generosity of spirit. She will be deeply missed. A memorial service will be held at St. James’s Episcopal Church, 1018 Farmington Ave. West Hartford Connecticut, where Betsy was an active parishioner, on May 26, 2024 at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the St. James Memorial Fund. Molloy Funeral Home, West Hartford has care of arrangements.