Elizabeth Tanase Obituary
Detroit, Michigan, United States
May 13, 1923 - January 19, 2015
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Elizabeth Tanase Obituary
May 13, 1923 - Jan 19, 2015
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Elizabeth (Betty) Tanase, age 92, of East Tawas, formerly of Warren, died Nov. 19, 2015 with her family by her side.Betty was born on May 13, 1923 to George and Annie (Pollock) Ashton, in Newcastle Upon Thyme, England. Betty moved to London with her family when she was a young child.After graduating from high school, Betty worked as a teen at the famous Madam Tussaud in London. She was working at a shipping company when World War II broke out. Although her mother and sister were evacuated from the city, Betty was considered an essential worker at the shipping company and stayed in London with her father during the war. For the next few years, Betty spent many nights sleeping in the subway in order to remain safe from the German bombing.Betty always had courage and spunk. So, not surprisingly, she aided the war effort. She spent days and evenings serving donuts and tea to hundreds of soldiers who were on R&R in London. That's where she acquired the nickname "Ginger" because of her long red hair.Betty also went to work for the American Embassy in London where she was assigned to the OSS as a photography assistant. There she assisted her soon to be husband, Alvin C. (AC) Goode, in taking pictures of French resistance fighters to make the false passports that would allow them back into France to fight the Nazis.Betty and AC were married in London in 1944. Shortly after the war ended, Betty came to the United States with AC, and they settled in Casa Grande, Ariz. for a short time before moving to the Detroit area. Betty and AC had one son, Paul C. Goode, before AC died in 1948.Although Betty was encouraged by her family to return to England following AC's death, she stayed in the Detroit area where she worked at the A.J. Powell photography studio.Betty's job included traveling throughout Michigan, including the Tawas area, to assist in taking pictures of the graduating seniors. Some the class photographs are on display at the Iosco County Historical Museum.Betty met the late John Tanase while working at the YMCA in Highland Park. They were married in 1952 and had three children, John, Mark and Pam. Betty and John were married for 30 years, living in the Detroit area. They also spent three years living in Las Vegas, where Betty's three brothers had moved after leaving London. Betty was again widowed in 1982.Betty stayed in the Detroit area until 2013 when she moved to East Tawas where she lived at Tawas Village Assisted Living to be closer to her son, John. Betty moved to Lakeview Manor in 2015. Although she was in the Tawas area only a short time, Betty touched many lives with her charm, humor, and unmatched kindness, not to mention her unforgettable spunk.Betty is survived by her sons, Paul Goode of South Carolina and John (Barbara) Tanase of East Tawas; her daughter, Pam (Ben) Wright of Troy; her daughter-in-law, Dot Tanase of Las Vegas; her nephew, Ken (Susana) Ashton of California; and several nieces and a nephew in England. She is preceded in death by her husbands, Alvin C. Goode and John Tanase; her beloved son, Mark Tanase; and her five siblings.Cremation has already taken place. Memorials may be made to the Lakeview Manor Residents Fund, 408 N. Fifth Ave., Tawas City, Michigan, 48763.Betty was one of the last of the great generation. Cheerio Betty! TTFN!
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