Elizabeth Policastro

Elizabeth (“Betsy”) Elaine Templeton Policastro, 80, of South Fairway Drive in Burlington, died Monday, October 5, 2020, after fighting recurring melanoma during the last year.  Betsy was born on October 2, 1940, in Littleton, New Hampshire and lived in multiple New England towns due to her father’s work as a retail executive before the family settled in Carbondale, Pennsylvania.  Betsy attended Marywood College and worked in the insurance industry before meeting her husband of 40 years, Tom, a local disc jockey.  Their journey together then took them to State College, Pennsylvania, where Betsy supported Tom as he pursued degrees at Pennsylvania State University.

After short times in Indiana and Richmond, Virginia, Betsy then settled with her family in Burlington in 1976.  Following in her father’s footsteps as a retailer, Betsy fulfilled a lifelong dream and became the owner operator of Robert’s Variety Store in Burlington in 1986.  She kept the tradition of this classic store going for over 20 years before retiring from the business in 2007.  Betsy was always known for her love of crafting and her famous handcrafted holiday bows that she made synonymous with Robert’s and that became a decorating tradition throughout the community.

In addition to her work, Betsy was a dedicated wife and mother.  From being a regular class “room mother” at school to coaching basketball to heading the countywide swim association, Betsy always took a leadership role, not only to ensure the best experiences for her children and family, but for others as well.

Betsy was the daughter of the late John A. Templeton and Rosemary M. Templeton.  She is survived by her son, T. John Policastro and daughter-in-law Lynn K. Policastro of Raleigh, her daughter Christine Policastro Johnson and son-in-law Casey L. Johnson of Burlington; grandsons Alexander Johnson and Griffin Johnson, and granddaughters Mary Elizabeth Policastro and Madeline Policastro, and her sister, Anne T. Dietterick and brother-in-law, Lanny Dietterick of St. Johns, Florida.