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Elizabeth Nehilla

September 24, 1932 — August 31, 2020

Elizabeth (Betty) Nehilla passed away on August 31, 2020 at home embraced by the love of her family. She was 87 years old. Betty was born in Pittston, Pa and raised with her brothers Leo, Marty, Jimmy and her sister Anne.

As a very young girl the family moved to Bethlehem where she grew up and attended Bethlehem Catholic High School. After she graduated, she worked as an Elevator Operator for The Bethlehem Steel. She met Rudy, they married and were off to live in Newfoundland, Canada where Rudy was stationed with the Navy.

Back in Bethlehem they raised 4 kids. Betty was a Super Mom. She could do it all. She was a talented seamstress and made so many beautiful clothes, along with our Halloween costumes and special things we needed.

Although her family was what kept her most busy, she also worked outside the home. She worked in the Mens department in the iconic Hesss Department Store. She was so glamorous that she fit right in while dressing celebrities. Betty went back to the Bethlehem Steel years later to work in the Manifest Dept. It was there that she made some very close friends. She delighted in being with all of them. She even took a tap-dancing class in her 40s with some of her gang. They kept her laughing and her stories of their antics kept us laughing. She is up in Heaven right now with her friend Maria Sculley having a grand old time! Betty also worked as a Bookkeeper for Lehigh County Drug and Alcohol Intake Unit.

Betty was a world traveler, her favorite cities being New York City and Paris, France. She was a voracious reader. She loved the Theatre and The Arts. She absolutely loved the television show MASH, and her wonderful old movies.

Betty was predeceased by her husband Rudy Nehilla. Survivors: she is survived by her children Lynn Sell, David Nehilla and his wife Mari Nehilla, Susan Fennecken and her husband William Fennecken, Anne Redding and her husband Michael Redding, her grandchildren Sean Redding (wife Jennifer Redding), Marissa Redding (husband Cody Dickerson), Brett Redding (girlfriend Maria Berrios), Sherri Donovan (husband Chris Donovan), Christi Landry (husband Currie Landry), Aubrie Fennecken (husband Ryan Gaubert), Liam Fennecken and Ian Sell; great-grandchildren Kaine and Kaleaya Dickerson, Brayden and Conor Donovan, Atticus and Brady Redding, Liv Marie Landry.

Services: Family will greet guests from 10 to 11 am on Saturday, Sept. 12th at St Annes Catholic Church, 450 E. Washington Ave, Bethlehem, followed by an 11am mass. (Masks will be required while inside the church.) Internment at Holy Savior Cemetery, Bethlehem.

Cemetery
Holy Saviour Cemetery
2575 Linden St.
Bethlehem PA 18017
US

Calling Hours
Saturday, September 12, 2020
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
St. Anne's Catholic Church
450 Washington Ave.
Bethlehem PA 18017
US

Memorial Mass
Saturday, September 12, 2020
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
St. Anne's R. C. Church
450 E. Washington Ave.
Bethlehem PA 18017
US
(610) 867-5039

Funeral HomeConnell Funeral Home, Inc.
245 East Broad St.
Bethlehem PA - 18018
US
610-868-8531

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Elizabeth Nehilla, please visit our flower store.

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