Elizabeth Lenore Els Anastasio, December 15, 1940-November 16, 2025, was born in Plainfield and raised in West Lafayette, Ohio, where she was known as Betsy Els.
Raising her boys, she became known as Beth Smith, and the family lived in Ohio, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania before settling in Columbia, Maryland. Beth sang in the community choir there, and she worked as a paralegal in Washington D.C. In August of 1990, Beth remarried and took the name Anastasio. Thereafter, three granddaughters were born to Matt and Kathy, Katherine Elizabeth, “Katie,” Smith Walker (Brandon), Sophia Claire Smith, and Julia Lauren Smith. Beth loved to bake them her mother’s orange and lemon cookies and to spoil them at Christmastime.
Elizabeth lived and worked for a time in her favorite place, Bonita Springs, Florida until settling for her final years among friends in Lexington, Kentucky. She loved her dogs, she loved to read, and she had a lifelong wish for world peace.
She is preceded in death by her loving mother, Rose Helen Moorehead Els and her devoted big brother, Jon Mathew Els.
Elizabeth is survived by three sons, Lawrence Russel Smith, Gregory Kent Smith, and Matthew Allen Smith (Kathy).
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