Elizabth Ann Thomas-Richie

Elizabeth Ann Thomas-Richie, 84, of Greentown, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family, at Wayne Memorial Hospital. She was the widow of her first husband, Jerome (Jerry) Clifford Thomas, who passed away in 1981, and her second husband, Bruce Allen Richie, who passed away in 2022.

Born in 1941 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Elizabeth was the daughter of the late Joseph and Elizabeth (Kish) Ortwein. Known to many as Betty, she attended Catholic schools, including Bethlehem Catholic High School, and faithfully walked to daily Mass at Holy Ghost Church.

After school, Betty worked as a secretary at Bethlehem Steel before transitioning into event planning at Buck Hill Resort, where she had the memorable opportunity to meet Walt Disney. Following a move to Wayne County, she worked at Western Wayne Elementary School in Hamlin and later at Evergreen Elementary School, where she served as a librarian and aide.

Betty had a deep love for her many cats and dogs and cherished time spent with her family. She thoroughly enjoyed her outings with the Greene-Dreher Historical Society and her wonderful Lakeview Acres Community. She was especially grateful to her grandchild, JD, for staying with her so she could remain at home following her first hospital stay.

She is survived by her children, Jennifer Thomas Cruciani and Timothy Jerome Thomas and his wife, Carolyn Coughlin Thomas; her stepson, Bruce James Richie and his wife, Christine Richie; her grandchildren, Jerome Dominick Cruciani, Timothy James Thomas and his wife, Amalia O'Brien Thomas, Sarah Richie, and James Richie; and her great-grandchildren, Noah Richie and Cashel Finley Thomas.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, December 27, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Thomas More Church, 105 Gravity Road, Lake Ariel, with the Rev. Stephen Bosomafi officiating and Deacon Robert Warnock assisting.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made in Elizabeth's honor to St. Veronica's Church, 314 Chestnut Avenue, Hawley, PA 18428, or St. Thomas More Church,P.O. Box 188, Lake Ariel, PA 18436.