Bette Ann Blanchfield

Former longtime Harborcreek resident Bette Ann Blanchfield, of Maitland, FL, went home on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, to be with her Lord, her dear husband and son, and many other loved ones waiting for her arrival in heaven. She was 91.

Born in Pittsburgh, she moved to Erie, PA as a teenager. She attended Grove City College, where she sang in the church choir. Bette met her future husband, Gerald “Jerry” Blanchfield, at a summer Presbyterian church choir practice in Erie while in college. They were married in February of 1955, and she moved to Harborcreek, where she operated the family farm’s Buffalo Road fruit stand. Her easy smile and natural friendliness suited her job there well for 45 years before retiring.

Bette was a member of the Harborcreek Republican Women’s Club and a Republican committee woman. She was very active at community events and supportive of her husband’s 12-year term as a Harborcreek Township Supervisor (1974-86). Yet she said raising her two children, Vicki, of Altamonte Springs, Fla., and Rick, Harborcreek, was what she considered her most satisfying life accomplishment.

She and her husband became Florida snowbirds in the mid-1980s. They especially enjoyed taking annual winter cruises together to such destinations as the Caribbean, Hawaii and Panama Canal, and Bermuda. Her love of travel continued after her beloved husband’s death in 2001, when she journeyed widely across the U.S., Canada and Europe. A world traveler, her trips - often cruises - included visits to Tahiti, the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, Russia, the Mexican Riviera, South America, the Holy Land, Australia and New Zealand, usually with her children. Even on such trips, she never met a stranger.

A lifelong Pittsburgh Steelers and Pirates fan, she also enjoyed scrapbooking and attending craft shows, orchestra concerts and plays. Bette and her daughter were members of the Mary Virginia Cabell chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR). They were also blessed with a strong mother-daughter bond that evolved into a “best friends” relationship later in life.

A social butterfly, Bette was loved throughout her long life for her ability to make others feel special. Her keen sense of humor, upbeat personality and thoughtfulness were among her greatest assets. She was admired for her willingness to volunteer for service projects at her local Florida women’s club.

After Rick’s sudden death in 2014, she faithfully honored his wish to donate her family’s historic 1839 farmhouse to Harborcreek Township, with the stipulation that it be preserved as the permanent home of the Harborcreek Historical Society. It was dedicated in July 2017 as the Gifford-Blanchfield House, in honor of the six generations who lived there.

In addition to her husband of 46 years, and devoted son; Bette was preceded in death by her mother, Virginia McCray Carlson; stepfather, E.E. McCray; and sister, Barbara Coleman. Besides her daughter, survivors include son-in-law, Brantley Smith; daughter-in-law, Julie (Greenville, S.C.); and several nieces and nephews.

Private interment will be at North East Cemetery. Arrangements are being handled by the Dusckas Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc. In lieu of flowers, kindly consider making a contribution to the Harborcreek Historical Society. Condolences may be sent to www.dusckasfuneralhomes.com.