Elizabeth Swartz Birdsall

Elizabeth Swartz Birdsall, 100 years old, long-time resident of Haverford, PA died peacefully in her sleep Friday, June 5, 2026. Betty was born in Haverford, graduated from The Shipley School (Class of 1943), and attended Pine Manor College for one year before she married. She was a devoted mother and homemaker for six children and her family grew to include twelve grandchildren, fourteen great grandchildren (with a fifteenth who arrived mid-June), and fifteen in-laws. She was a lifelong member of The Ardmore Presbyterian Church, under the ministry of every pastor serving this Church since it was established. She served as a Deacon, an Elder, and volunteered in various areas of need over the years. She did her best to attend services every Sunday in person or by live-streaming and was faithful in her commitment by generously volunteering her time and resources. The Ardmore Presbyterian Church Session honored her on her 100th Birthday with a Proclamation of Thanksgiving expressing gratitude for her years of loyal friendship and dedicated service and her gracious and sustaining presence. She was a lifelong member of both The Merion Cricket Club and The Merion Golf Club where she played tennis, badminton, squash, and golf. She introduced all her children and local grandchildren to the game of tennis, patiently nurturing tennis skills development and a love of the game. In her later years, she played tennis until the age of 85 and club match bridge until her mid-nineties. After she stopped playing club match bridge, she continued eating lunch together and playing bridge weekly with friends Catherine, Cordie, and Joan until August, 2025. Before arthritis affected her hands, she enjoyed knitting, needlepoint, and bargello, and taught her daughters these skills. She was an avid and productive knitter generating countless sweaters, hats, mittens, scarves, baby blankets and personalized Christmas stockings for her large family. In between family knitting projects, she knitted sweaters, hats and mittens for babies and toddlers in need through Church and The Children’s Aid Society. She was such an accomplished knitter that she could watch tv and knit simultaneously! She was an excellent cook and baker, rallying the troops to make enough Christmas cookies to feed six hungry children for two weeks while on Christmas break, serve cookies to guests and even give boxes of cookies as gifts. All her children remember her special and comforting bedside care when we were home sick from school. Somehow, in the midst of finishing the school year for her six children, she managed to shop, pack trunks, and fully prepare everyone to go away for eight weeks of overnight camp in New Hampshire. Once we were at Camp, she wrote each of us a weekly letter filling us in on family news. Although she thoroughly enjoyed her annual vacation to Sea Island, Georgia with our father, she liked nothing better than a family vacation, culminating in a trip for the entire clan to Rockywold Deephaven in honor of their 50th Anniversary. She was a beloved wife to Thomas Morrison Birdsall (d), and devoted mother to Elizabeth Ann Johnson (Ronald-d), Thomas Morrison Birdsall Jr. (Stephanie), Sandra Birdsall Atteberry (William), Mary Birdsall Raiken (Dennis), Christopher Pennock Birdsall M.D. (Melinda), and Susan Birdsall Dingle (Jonathan). She is also survived by twelve grandchildren, Todd (Lidia), Thomas (Jen), Thomas III (Katie), Cassandra, Lyn (Bryan), Kristine (Joseph), Alexander (Lauren), Dannielle (Christopher), Ryan (Brooke), Sarah (Sebastian), Jeffrey, and Katherine. She has fifteen great grandchildren, Shea, McKenzie (Jacob), Kaylin, Derek, Eleanor, Scarlett, Elizabeth, William, Jacob, Chloe, Sophia, Isabella (Bee), Cameron, Robbie, and Tanner. As the years progressed Betty needed assistance from home health aids for shopping, errands, going to Church, and meal preparation. She was blessed to have help from an incredible team of women who were able to increase the hours they helped Betty as her needs changed. Our boundless thanks to Cynthia, Caroline, Kay, Shevon, Susan, Charmaine, and Natalie. Betty could not have lived according to her wishes without you. A Memorial Service will be held at The First Presbyterian Church of Ardmore. 5 W. Montgomery Avenue (at Mill Creek Road), Ardmore, PA 19003 on Saturday, July 25 at 1:00 p.m. In Lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Betty’s memory to the General Fund of The Ardmore Presbyterian Church.

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Elizabeth Swartz Birdsall

November 15, 1925 - June 5, 2026