Betty Kirshner Small

Betty Kirshner Small died on August 15, aged 101. Formerly of Haverford, PA, recently of Lancaster, PA, Betty was married to the late George W. “Bill” Small (dec. 2021) and they shared 75 years of marriage. Betty attended the University of Pennsylvania where she met Bill and they both graduated in 1946. As an undergraduate, Betty belonged to Alpha Chi Omega sorority. As a graduate, she was an active volunteer in alumni events. She was past President of the Alumnae Society and was awarded the Alumni Award of Meri. Betty was also the first woman President of the combined men and women Class of ’46. In November 2001 the University of Pennsylvania recognized Betty’s family for its four generations of women graduates who were featured in the video documentary celebrating 125 years of Women at Penn, including Betty’s mother, Betty herself, two daughters, and one granddaughter.

Betty was a member and past Chairwoman of the National Society of the Colonial Dames Lancaster/Dauphin/York County Committee, PA and a member and past Regent of the Jeptha Abbot chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was also a member of the Sedgeley Club of Philadelphia, the Children’s Aid Society of PA, Emergency Aid of PA Foundation and a member of First Presbyterian Church of Lancaster. She is survived by her daughters, Sara E. Hodge (Ian G. Hodge, Jr.) and Martha S. Small (Douglas Heuser), granddaughters Blair Hodge Pendley (Lt. Col. William P. Pendley III USMC Ret.) and Julia Stuart Hodge, and great-grandchildren Ava, Cora, Hannah, Perry and Ian Pendley.