V28-3 Betty A. Barclay

Betty A. Barclay, 91, died May 14, 2017, at her home after a long illness. Born in Detroit, Mich. to Earle H. and Laura (Fordice) Tracy, Betty moved to Elmhurst, Ill. at a young age, attended York H.S. and graduated from Elmhurst College with a degree in Economics. Finding the suburbs boring, she commuted to her job as a market researcher in downtown Chicago during young adulthood. After her marriage, she lived in Lincoln Park until moving to her home in Edgewater in 1959. Wife of the late Bill Barclay, and mother of Mark Barclay, Ann (Bruce Rovner) Barclay-Rovner and Jane (Mike) Gillespie.

Betty was a lifelong volunteer in service to her community until her failing health made it impossible to participate. Founding member of the Edgewater Community Council (ECC), the Edgewater Glen Association (EGA) and the Friends of the Edgewater Public Library, she served in many capacities including longtime member of the ECC Board of Directors and corporate secretary, co-chair of the EGA garden walks, and coordinator of the Friend’s book sales. A supporter of public education, she served in leadership roles for the PTSA at the local and regional levels. She advocated for building a local Chicago Public Library branch for Edgewater, which opened in 1973 and later took up a long and persistent campaign for a larger branch for Edgewater which finally opened in 2013. The Chicago Public Library honored her with their Volunteer of the Year award. She was also a member of the inaugural class of the “Living Treasurers of Edgewater” presented by the Edgewater Historical Society.

Betty Barclay and her late husband were founding members of the Edgewater Community Council. Betty was a board member from at least 1990 until the end of operations sometime in 2013. During most of that time she was Corporate Secretary of the organization. She was responsible for compiling the monthly calendar of events sent to members in the pre-internet era.