Betty M. Belcher

December 7, 1919 - July 18, 2020

Greenland - Betty Morton Belcher, 100, of Greenland, was born December 7, 1919 in East Liverpool, Ohio and passed away peacefully at her home on Saturday, July 18, 2020. She was raised in Pennsylvania and was the youngest of the six children of the late Edgar and Magdalena (Trust) Gessford. She married Richard Morton in 1941 and they resided in Concord and Rye Beach. Betty was the mother of four children, the grandmother of five grandchildren, and the great-grandmother of five great-grandchildren. Betty and her husband Dick were involved in both the hospitality and commercial real estate businesses, and after the death of her husband she continued to play an active role in the New Hampshire Highway Hotel and numerous commercial properties in Portsmouth and Rye. After the death of her husband Richard she married John Belcher in 1982 and they resided in Greenland, NH and Siesta Key, Florida. Betty had a diverse array of interests and areas of philanthropic support. These included early American history, especially the Carriage Association of America and Strawberry Banke; theater, including the establishment of Theatre by the Sea; politics at the local and national level; and entertaining on a grand scale. She celebrated her 100th birthday in 2019. She was a gracious hostess, had a terrific sense of style, and loved to entertain, always making sure every individual felt like they were the most important person in the room. She is survived by her four children: Frederick Retsch, Jane Man, Matthew Morton and Seth Morton; her five grandchildren and five great grandchildren. In addition to her parents and husband, she was predeceased by her brothers, Leroy and Paul and sisters, Jane, Madeline and Katherine. Visiting hours will be held from 4– 7 PM on Friday, July 24, 2020 in the Remick & Gendron Funeral Home-Crematory, 811 Lafayette Road, Hampton. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited. Masks and social distancing will be required. Burial will be private. If desired, donations may be made to Rockingham VNA & Hospice , 137 Epping Road, Exeter, NH 03833 or Future in Sight, 25 Walker Street, Concord, NH 03301.