BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — Mrs. Elizabeth “Betsy” Ann Davey Conley (Smith) of Blowing Rock, died Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Glenbridge Nursing Center in Boone. She was 96.
Born Dec. 3, 1927, in Janesville, Wisconsin, Betsy was the eldest of Theodore Daniel and Georgia Devin Davey’s three children.
She married the Honorable Richard “Dick” James Conley in 1948, and soon after, the couple made their way to Florida, where they lived in Daytona Beach, Sarasota, Miami and, in 1958, Homestead. While Dick worked for an automotive dealership the couple would eventually own (Dick Conley Chevrolet), Betsy was a homemaker who enjoyed cooking, spending time with their wide circle of friends, playing golf and traveling.
The couple welcomed nine children together. The family vacationed in Blowing Rock, a town Dick and Betsy discovered in 1960 and where they would later build a second home.
In Florida, Betsy supported her husband when he made his foray into local politics: Dick would serve two terms as Homestead’s mayor. Together, they loved to host gatherings and regularly entertained friends.
Betsy could fit in any setting. She was social, loved to decorate her home, and was a great cook.
Betsy and Dick had been married for 23 years when Dick died in a small-engine plane crash.
In the years that followed, Betsy raised her children, made time for golf, travels and was an avid and exceptional bridge player. She was one of the original Board of Directors, and first woman, for the Community Bank of Homestead, now known as South State Bank.
Betsy moved permanently to Blowing Rock, where she was part of the community for decades. She was a member of Church of the Epiphany in Blowing Rock, and an ardent supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Betsy leaves behind 7 children, Cathy Stevens (Charlie) of Rock Hill; Cyndi King (partner Joe Papa) of Blowing Rock; Christine Conley of Rock Hill; Constance Acosta of Charlotte; Carrie Conley (Tom Roper) of Denver, Colo.; Paul Conley (Darlene) of Atlanta, Ga.; Robert (Chip) Conley of Blowing Rock; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews.
Betsy was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; son Richard Conley; daughter Elizabeth (Beth) Walrath; her sister, Mary Kennedy, and her brother, Daniel Davey.
A private funeral mass will be held. Hampton Funeral Home is charged with arrangements.
