Hanover, NH – Elizabeth “Betty” Clifford Yocom died at Kendal at Hanover on October 4, 2026, at age 99. She was the daughter of Benjamin Bailey Clifford and Eleanor Lewis Clifford, born in Boston’s historic Lying-in Hospital on July 30, 1927. She and her younger brother, Alvin, spent their early years in Quincy, MA. She was a 5th grader when she and her classmates were called out to the school yard just as the Hindenburg passed overhead on what would be its last fateful flight on May 6, 1937.
In 1947, Betty graduated from the Modern School of Fashion and Design in Boston. Newly hired for her first job and ready to settle into a Boston future, she attended a young adult mixer hosted by Trinity Church of Boston. It was there on the dance floor that she backed into John Yocom. As John later said, “I liked what I felt.” John had just graduated from M.I.T. where he completed his education thanks to the G.I. Bill after returning from the European Theater of World War II. Betty and John married on December 21, 1947 and were able to celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary shortly after John turned 100 in 2022. John passed away in May 2023.
Betty started her married life in Columbus, Ohio, where she worked as a church secretary. When their daughter Judy was born in 1950, she became a stay at home Mom while John continued to work as a chemical engineer at the Battelle Memorial Institute.
It became clear in the early years of their marriage that Betty had a well-developed sense of humor. Judy remembers witnessing a case in point: a stalemate developed when limited resources could not provide for two conflicting purchases: John, an avid fisherman, felt the essential need for a fishing canoe. Meanwhile, Betty felt equally compelled to replace an old family horsehair loveseat with an actual comfortable couch. The stalemate resolved itself when one day, to Betty’s surprise, a Sears, Roebuck truck pulled up and the delivery drivers said “Where do you want it?” The ‘it’ was a 12′ canoe. Betty directed the drivers to bring the boat into the living room, where she quickly moved the loveseat out of the way and installed the boat. When John got home from work, it was filled with decorative throw pillows. Betty’s couch came not long after.
In 1957, John decided to move the family to California where he worked for the Bay Area Air Pollution Control District based in San Francisco. Again Betty created a new home in a new part of the country. As a dog and cat lover, Betty was happy to find a job working at a veterinary clinic. Both Betty and John embraced their new world, becoming active participants and trip leaders for the Sierra Club. They enjoyed visiting most of the western national parks, touring wineries, canoeing and enjoying their exposure to new cuisines not found in their childhood homes. When John, the fisherman, caught and grilled his first striped bass, Betty, the girl from Boston, was very pleasantly surprised. She had only ever eaten canned tuna and salmon and was surprised that fish actually did not taste “fishy.” At this point, Betty stopped making tuna noodle casserole and found new recipes in “Sunset Magazine.” In California, they had a rich musical life, forming a madrigal and recorder group with fellow church choir members. It was hard to say goodbye to their western life when the family relocated for a job opportunity in Hartford, CT. It was a return to New England for Betty when they moved to Simsbury CT, in 1965.
Once again Betty and John jumped into a new community, forming new friendships. They were active members of the First Church of Simsbury’s choir for 50 years. During her Simsbury years, Betty was a beloved teacher at the Hopmeadow Nursery School. She was its director for 19 years.
A final relocation brought Betty and John to Kendal at Hanover to be nearer to family. Betty is survived by her daughter Judy Yocom and her husband, Michael Shoob of Thetford, VT. Also of Thetford, her grandson, Casey Huling, his wife Marianne St-Laurent and their children Lucca, Cecilia and Charlie, and in Brooklyn, NY, granddaughter Kate Huling, her husband Andrew Tarlow and their children Elijah, Béa, Roman and Paloma. Betty felt fortunate to get to know her grandchildren well into their adulthood, and her seven great-grand children as well as many wonderful nieces and nephews.
The family is most grateful for the loving care that both Betty and John received during their years at Kendal.
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