Elizabeth McKay-Lanier

Elizabeth "Betsy" Ann McKay-Lanier, 75, died at Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center in New Brunswick, NJ on January 14, 2023 surrounded by her family.

Betsy enjoyed spending time with her children & grandchildren, playing the flute/conducting in multiple concert bands, reading books and watching classic movies (& sometimes some questionable tv choices). She loved talking on the phone and FaceTiming with her kids every day, always keeping up with what was going on in each of their lives. She loved cooking her steaks rare and having 6 different flavors of ice cream on hand at all times. Her passion for theater, art, music, education and travel spanned throughout her lifetime. She spent the better part of 30 years teaching instrumental music in both Highland Park and New Brunswick school districts, K-12. She was an avid animal rescuer and will be missed by her 3 furbabies: Toots, Tobiko and Milo.

She is survived by her son Jonathan Lanier and a daughter, Sabrina Lanier.  Betsy has three grandchildren: Jonathan, Jr., Victoria, and Shane.  She has a brother, John and his wife, Nina of Fredon, NJ and a niece Alison and a nephew, Jason.  Betsy is also survived by her former spouse, Donald Lanier, Sr.

Relatives and friends may attend the visitation on Thursday, January 19, 2023 between the hours of 4 pm and 8 pm at the Jaqui-Kuhn Funeral Home, 17 S. Adelaide Avenue, Highland Park, NJ. She will be laid to rest on Friday, January 20, 2023 at Clover Leaf Cemetery, Woodbridge.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in her memory to:  Smile Train (www.donate.smiletrain.org), St. Jude’s Children's Hospital (www.stjude.org) or the Alzheimer’s Association (www.act.alz.org). 

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