Betty Ann Minard died at her home in Keene, N.H., on Sunday, Feb. 27, after a brief illness. She was 82.

Born Betty Ann Hamlin in Waltham, Mass. in 1928, she was the daughter of Charles Hamlin of North Bridgton and Susan (Hitchcock) Hamlin. She graduated from Newton High School in 1946 and Skidmore College in 1950 and worked as a teacher for a year. She met her future husband, Richard A. Minard, in North Bridgton where he worked at Long Lake Lodge. They married in 1951 and lived in Needham, Mass., where the couple had three children. The family moved to Alstead Center, N.H., in 1965. They have remained lifelong summer residents on Long Lake.

Betty was an active volunteer throughout her life, serving developmentally disabled children while living in Mass., and then leading programs in which her children participated: Sunday school, Girl Scouts, 4-H, the PTA, and helping in Alstead’s school library. When her children had left home, she reentered the workforce as a medical librarian at Cheshire Medical Center. She retired in 1990.

She was an avid gardener, birder, and lover of the outdoors, particularly the fields of Alstead Center and the waters of Long Lake. On most Saturdays for the last eight years, she and Dick stood vigil for peace in Keene’s Central Square. They were also regular sign-holders outside Alstead’s polls on election days over three decades. The Cheshire County Democrats of Keene awarded Betty and Dick the Pat and Ron Russell Award for their volunteer service in 2004. Betty and Dick moved to Bentley Commons in Keene in the fall of 2009.

Betty is survived by her husband of 59 years, and their three children and their spouses: Faith Minard and Stephen Blatt of Bedford, N.H.; Richard Jr., and Susanna Minard of Bow, N.H.; and Randall and Patricia Minard of Keene, N.H.; by six grandchildren; and by several cousins in Bridgton and Harrison. She was predeceased by her sister, Dorothy Hamlin; her uncle and aunt, Henry and Martha Hitchcock; and her husband’s cousin, Mary Minard, all of Bridgton.

There will be a Celebration of Betty’s life at the 3rd Congregational Church in Alstead, N.H., on Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 11 a.m. The Rev. Winthrop Nelson and Rev. Patience Stoddard will officiate. Memorial contributions may be made to the Harris Center for Conservation Education, 83 Kings Hwy. Hancock, NH 03449, or to Kurn Hattin Homes at 128 Mayo Road, Westminster, VT 05158. The Foley Funeral Home, 49 Court Street, Keene, N.H., is in charge of arrangements. This full obituary is also available at www.foleyfuneralhome.com