Betsy Aldrich McKee, 91, most recently of Seneca, SC, entered the more immediate presence of her Lord and Savior, following a period of declining health on March 14th, 2026. She passed away under the care of Cottingham Hospice House. The family would like to thank the staff at both Cottingham and Keowee Square Assisted Living for their dedication and compassion during the last year of her life. Born in Worchester, MA on January 5, 1935, as the youngest daughter of the late Baylis G. and Hortense F. Aldrich, Betsy spent her childhood years in the idyllic, New England small town of East Douglas, MA. She attended prep school at Abbot Academy in Andover, MA and graduated in 1951. Betsy then attended Wheaton College in Norton, MA, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1956. During her adolescent years she spent many summers as a camper and counselor at Camp Quinibeck in Vermont. She loved all things sports and excelled on the field and in the water. During her prep school and college years she participated in women’s baseball, field hockey, and synchronized swimming.

Betsy met her first husband Robert Edward Stewart of Sanford, NC in East Douglas, when he was playing baseball for the mill team that her father’s employer, Schuster Mills, sponsored. They had an enduring long-distance relationship and were married on the back lawn of her parent’s home on August 18th, 1956. With Bob playing professional baseball, the married couple settled in Washington, NC, where Betsy taught elementary school for three years. In 1959, with Bob out of baseball, the couple relocated to Durham, NC. There they would welcome two sons, Scott Fister Stewart and Douglas Aldrich Stewart. Betsy settled into life as a homemaker and mother. She was the perfect mother for two boys. Her home and yard became the gathering place for many of the neighborhood children. Betsy served as Sunday School teacher at First Presbyterian Church, a Den Mother for the local Cub Scouts, and a softball coach in the Parkwood Athletic Association. Tragically, Betsy became a widow at age 42, when Bob passed away from a coronary event. She stoically pushed on through the loss and devoted herself to life as a single parent. She eventually returned to the workforce and became an apparel store manager until her retirement at age 55. Throughout her time in Durham, she enjoyed following her boys’ academic and athletic pursuits, supporting Duke Athletics, cheering on the Braves, golfing, and volunteering at the local hospitals.

In 1991, Betsy was reintroduced to a childhood acquaintance, who had retired to Durham. William Edwin McKee II took Betsy to lunch on the recommendation of their mutual friend.

Not long after that lunch, they engaged in a brief courtship and were married on November 7, 1992. Life with Bill was an adventure. Over the years, they lived in Durham, Lake Toxaway (NC), Dataw Island (SC), Hendersonville (NC), Palm City (FL), Flat Rock (NC), Advance (NC) and then again in Flat Rock. Together they enjoyed golfing, boating, and visiting with their children and grandchildren. The grandchildren have often expressed their fondest memories involve Grandma McKee’s personally guided hikes at the Carl Sandburg Home and the visits with the farm’s baby goats. Betsy was preceded in death by her parents and her husband Bill and by her sister Joan Zell. She leaves behind her two sons, Scott (Julie) and Doug (Stacey) Stewart, two stepdaughters, Marcy (Pat) Bria, and Sarah McKee, and one stepson, William (Deidre) E. McKee III. She was predeceased by another stepdaughter Ann (Eric) Barbe. Her many grandchildren and a growing number of great-grandchildren will continue to carry on her legacy of service and faithfulness. A celebration of life will take place on June 13th at 10:00 in Hendersonville, NC at Pinecrest Presbyterian Church, 1790 Greenville Hwy. A private burial will be held later in the day at Riverside Cemetery in Asheville.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Cottingham Hospice House, 390 Keowee School Rd, Seneca, SC 29672.

Brown Funerals is assisting the family.