Soldz, Betty S. Of Jamaica Plain died peacefully on October 22, 2014 at Tippett Hospice Home in Needham from complications of Parkinson's Disease. Born in St. Louis, MO she graduated from Soldan High School and attended Washington U. in St. Louis. There she fell in love and suggested marriage and elopement to her future husband. She and her husband both worked to pay their way and raised their two young children. In 1961 they left for Washington, D. C. to begin the next chapter in their lives. Betty taught herself many arts and crafts, such as stained glass, fused glass, decoupage and macrame and then began to teach others. In 1969 Betty and her husband opened a retail store in Annandale, VA, which Betty ran from the beginning. Betty and her husband wrote a book "Creating Stained Glass Lamps" published in 1977. In 1984 they retired and moved to S. Lake Tahoe, CA. The next year, they moved to Oakland, California and Betty entered Hayward State University. She received her BSW in 1988. In her post-retirement career Betty Soldz was a social worker, Older Adult Services consultant, and volunteer community educator as well as an advocate for women. She was also a VISTA volunteer, President of OWL (The Voice of Midlife and Older Women)/California and Chairperson of 50+ and Strong: An Alliance for Women's Health. Betty volunteered with the California Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) for eleven years. She presented workshops and led discussion groups for the University of California Berkeley Retirement Center with Barbara Weiss. Betty co-wrote a book, Wise Choices Beyond Midlife: The Journey Ahead, in 1997. After the Oakland-Berkeley firestorm of October 20, 1991 destroyed their home, Betty volunteered to be president of the North Hill's Phoenix Association for a year. After moving to Boston in 2000 to be near her sons and grandson, Betty was elected President of OWL Greater Boston Chapter, which she served until 2009 when she resigned due to her struggle with Parkinson's. Betty is survived by her husband, Milton, of 66 years, her two sons, Edmond and his wife Ann, of Burke, Va. and Stephen and his wife Vivienne of Roslindale, Ma., and her beloved grandson Isaac, currently a junior at Boston College, as well as her brother Donald Kreisman of Lady Lake, Florida and Sister Roberta Gray of St Louis, Missouri. She said that she had led a fulfilling life. She was beloved by many and will be sorely missed. Remembrances may be made to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation.