Betty G. (Steim) Caruso, 94, of Kittanning, passed away comfortably and peacefully on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017, at her home.

Betty was born on April 15, 1923, in Kittanning to Leonard and Edith (Shearer) Steim.

Betty graduated from Kittanning High School.

She married Paul J. Caruso on April 30, 1946 and they shared their lives together for 66 years and particularly enjoyed golfing together and later doing Silver Sneakers.

They enjoyed traveling by car cross country to visit many relatives and friends.

For nearly 20 years, Betty and Paul spent winters on Lake Livingston near Houston, Texas, with their lifelong friends, the Chuck and Helen Gerstner family.

Betty worked at a glass plant in Clarion while her husband was in college after the war.

She then worked at the Leather Shop in Kittanning which made leather wallets, which closed in the 1950s, and now houses Steiner Sacco Law Firm.

She then devoted her time being a loving wife and mother.

Betty was Catholic and a lifelong member of St. Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church.

She helped clean the church for many years.

She loved her faith and her family and dearly loved her golf, which she shared with the love of her life, Paul.

Betty was an avid golfer, first learning to golf in her mid 40s and continuing into her 80s and participated in the Kittanning County Club Women’s Golf Leagues.

In golf, she was an excellent putter and her husband could hit a great drive.

Together, they won many Scotch foursomes. She loved the game of golf so much that she took extra time to teach many youngsters and ladies to golf and about the rules and etiquette of the game.

She enjoyed watching golf on television and loved going to the U.S. Open in Oakmont and being a volunteer at golf tournaments.

Betty had a dry, quick witted sense of humor and always said what she meant. When someone became a friend of hers, she remained a faithful, lifelong friend.

She would be sure to visit them and keep in contact.

She had a gentle, caring spirit and was always willing to help. She was a caregiver and matriarch for all her siblings throughout her life.

Betty is survived by her two daughters, Marsha Caruso, and Paula Caruso LaStrapes and her husband, Andre “Pat” LaStrapes III; brother-in-law, Michael Caruso and his wife, Geraldine, of Ford city; sisterin law, Louise Steim, of Kittanning; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Betty was the last survivor of 12 siblings in her immediate family.

She was preceded in death by her siblings, Ben, Donald, Helen Delp, Charles “Doc”, Edward, Patricia Rupp, Robert “Pete”, Randall, Leah Lefchik, George and William “Bill”.

It was through the loving efforts of her caregivers, Michelle Lane and Charlotte Steim, that Betty was able to remain in her home to live out the rest of her life.

The family will welcome friends from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, at the Snyder-Crissman Funeral Home, 200 S. McKean St., Kittanning. Additional visitation will be held from 9:30-10:30 a.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home, followed by at Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. at St. Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Kittanning with the Rev. Douglas E. Dorula officiating.

Interment will be at St. Mary Cemetery in Kittanning.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Betty’s honor to The First Tee of Pittsburgh, 5370 Schenley Drive, Pittsburgh, Pa 15217.

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