Helen Elizabeth Dunleavy

Helen Elizabeth “Betty” Dunleavy mother, grandmother and great-grandmother passed away peacefully on Monday, January 19, 2026, at the age of 96.

Born in Schenectady, NY on September 5, 1929, she was the daughter of Louis J. Moore and Helen Delaney Moore. After graduating from St Columba’s High School, she attended and graduated from Mildred Elley Business School in 1948 and then worked at the Catholic Charities Office in Schenectady. She was pre-deceased by her husband of 63 years, Raymond A Dunleavy, Jr. Betty was a homemaker for their large family of six children and returned to college in 1970 when her youngest child entered school. She graduated from Marshall University with honors in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in education. Betty worked for the Kanawha County School System as a speech therapist in Charleston, WV for 20 years. She was a very strong and resilient woman who loved her family and was very proud of her Irish heritage. Betty loved gardening and was a member of the Rolling Hills Garden Club in Charleston, WV for over 30 years before she and husband moved to Spartanburg, SC in 2004. She also loved sewing, crafting, and listening to music. She was an avid reader of health and wellness books as well as biographies and historical novels.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, her daughter, Patricia Dunleavy, two sons, Timothy Dunleavy and Keith Dunleavy and her grandson, Ryan Dunleavy.

Betty will be lovingly remembered by her children, Raymond A Dunleavy III (Kathy) of Spartanburg, SC, Shawna Dunleavy Dickenson (Lee) of Winston-Salem, NC and Kevin Dunleavy (Lora) of Brentwood, TN; her grandchildren, Sean Dunleavy, Timothy Dunleavy (Tina), Lauren Dunleavy, Bryan Dunleavy (Emily), Meghan Lindquist (Brett), Katie Kosmann (Jason), Meredith Burford (Brett), Kelly Dunleavy and Tyler Dunleavy; her great-grandchildren Luke Dunleavy, Clark Dunleavy, Clara Dunleavy, Spencer Lindquist, Mallory Lindquist, Savannah Kosmann, Callie Kosmann, Ezra Burford, Guinevere Burford, and Shepherd Burford.

Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 11:00 AM at the Historic Church at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church at 161 N Dean St, Spartanburg, SC 29302. A reception will follow in the Parish Center.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to Project Hope Foundation, 2131 Woodruff Road Suite 2100-358, Greenville, SC 29607.