Portsmouth – Elizabeth Badger Pennington, 91, of Portsmouth, died September 12, 2012 at her home.

She was born April 11, 1921, the daughter of Phillips Brooks and Frances (Shillaber) Badger. She graduated from Portsmouth High School, Class of 1939 and later from the Fannie Farmer School of Cooking in Boston.

Married to William Pennington on September 25, 1942, who predeceased her, Elizabeth is survived by a daughter, Patricia Bogardus and son-in-law, Robert Bogardus; grandsons, Kirk and Evan Bogardus.

Betty’s grandfather, Daniel Wesley Badger was a three-term Mayor of Portsmouth and Founder of the Portsmouth Country Club. Her father and uncle owned a large dairy farm in Greenland which provided supplies for the family-owned Badger Farms Creamery, a well-known local business which operated from a building on the corner of Bow and Daniel Streets and whose orange and black delivery trucks were ubiquitous throughout Portsmouth. As a teenager Betty developed a remarkable work ethic at the creamery. This dedication to hard work endured throughout her long life. Almost to the end, she tirelessly attended to her home and yard.

She generously gave her time and energy to civic activities for fifty years; she was an active Girl Scout Leader as well as a co-founder of the Girl Scout Drum and Bugle Corps.

In 1962, Betty and Bunnie Vaughn launched the Golden Age Club long before the country had ever thought to provide activities for “Senior Citizens”; the group was active until 2010, delighting hundreds of Portsmouth seniors with day trips, parties and overnight bus trips throughout New England.

Famous for her home-cooked meals, Betty displayed her characteristic generosity over and over again as she always had room and food for last-minute arrivals. Fiercely independent, a Yankee to the bone, Betty’s Frugality was legendary and yet her generosity knew no bounds including distributing dozens of jars of grape jelly in the fall. There are also many “Betty Pennington” paintings spread across the country.

Betty will be sorely missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her. She was truly “sui generis” one like no other.

Services: A memorial service will be held at 11:00am on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 at the Unitarian Universalist Church (South Church), State Street, Portsmouth. Friends invited. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Wentworth Hospice, 121 Broadway Suite 117, Dover, NH03820-8800 or a charity of your choice.