It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear mother, Elizabeth Ann “Betty” Duggan, in the early morning hours of Tuesday, October 27, 2026. She was 99.
Betty is finally reunited with the love of her life, Edward “Eddie” Jarlath Duggan, 10 years and one month to the day after his passing. Betty endured so much throughout her long life, and despite the tumult of her final two weeks, she remained determined and strong.
She was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, on April 6, 1927. She was the youngest of five children. Her father died when she was 12 years old, an event that placed an enormous strain on her mother. The family pushed on, with Betty deciding to become an RN, a career she pursued until she married a certain neighborhood boy named Eddie in 1951. Eddie was quoted as saying that he “chased her until she let me catch her.”
Together, they created a family, with Eddie serving in the Marine Corps and Betty taking care of the home front. During the Korean War, Eddie was deployed for 14 months without a trip home, while Betty cared for their two toddlers in Boston.
Military families are always on the move, and that was certainly the case during Eddie’s 20 years of service. Those two decades saw the birth of nine children in California, Nebraska, and finally Boston, Massachusetts, following his retirement. Betty’s strength in the face of adversity and pride in motherhood were simply unmatched.
In 1966, Hingham became their home and the center of Betty’s universe until her passing. Raising a large family in a small house with only three bedrooms and two bathrooms meant bunk beds were the norm, and a pullout sleeper sofa in the living room was a necessity. A picnic table with benches in the kitchen was a practical solution, making for a kitchen that was always lively (or chaotic). When it came to her cooking, Betty was known to say, “It’s not good, but there’s a lot of it.”
As the kids grew up and moved out, the nest became empty. However, everyone returned for cookouts, birthdays, and holidays. Much joy echoed through that small house.
It’s hard to sum up 99 years of a life, but it’s easy to say that Betty stayed actively involved in ALL of it. “Telephone, telegraph, tell-a-Betty” sums it up, as she was a true matriarch. She loved to travel, listen to mystery novels, and crochet, making the best blankets as gifts for friends and family.
There’s a family joke that Betty always had a suitcase packed and ready to go on any spontaneous trip at a moment’s notice. As she grew older, Betty traveled through books, Hallmark movies, and her local and national news broadcasts.
She was always up for an adventure and open to new people and ideas. She was sometimes left scratching her head, but always came around and understood that things change. She said she had seen so much in her lifetime, but that recent changes in our country were the most dramatic and troubling she had witnessed. That may be surprising, considering she lived through the Great Depression, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, 9/11, and more.
She always expressed hope that things would change for the better for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, a hope that we all share.
Betty lived life to the fullest and touched the lives of so many people. She will be truly missed, but certainly not forgotten. These may be the facts of Betty’s life, but it’s the space between these facts where Betty truly lived, always on her own terms.
She was the beloved wife of 65 years to the late Edward J. Duggan. Devoted mother to Paul Duggan of New Mexico; Frank Duggan and his wife, Susan, of Connecticut; Louise Everett and her husband, Steve, of Georgia; Mark Duggan of Hingham; Mary Ann Maynard of Bridgewater; Peter Duggan and his wife, Lisa, of Plymouth; Theresa Duggan of Weymouth; Joseph Duggan and his wife, Shannon, of Rhode Island; and the late Aileen Arzeno and her surviving husband, Felipe, of Brockton.
Adoring grandmother to Bridget, Patrick, Michael, Ashley, Sarah, Eric, Halle, Maggie, Elisa, and Monica. Great-grandmother to Boden, Cyrus, Finn, and Sawyer. Also survived by many nieces, nephews, and extended family.
Predeceased by her parents, Helen Eva (Madigan) and Francis Joseph Geary, and her siblings, Fran Geary, John Geary, Helen LeBlanc, and Nancy Cummings.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to greet the family during visiting hours on Friday, October 30, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Pyne Keohane Funeral Home, 21 Emerald St. (off Central St.), Hingham.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at the funeral home at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, October 31, prior to the Funeral Mass at St. Paul’s Church in Hingham at 10 a.m. Burial will follow at St. Paul’s Cemetery in Hingham.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Betty’s name may be made to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Please visit Keohane.com for directions and online condolences.
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