A Sam Phillips frame grab of Betty Haase at a war protest.
Memorial Service for Betty (Betsy) Haase
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of church member Betty Haase, who died on September 24, 2012 of complications from ovarian cancer. She is survived by her husband of thirty nine years, Dennis Skitzki and her sister Barbara.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 29, at 1:30 p.m. with refreshments to follow. The Reverend Kathleen C. Rolenz will officiate. Memorial Donations may be made the Memorial Fund/West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church.
If you have a story to share about Betty or would like to be considered to be one of the lay speakers, please contact Rev. Rolenz at krolenz@gmail.com by Wednesday, September 26, 5:00 p.m. You may also leave a message on her office phone, 440-333-2255 ext. 115 and she'll return the call.
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I was sad to learn of the passing of Betty Haase, the great white witch of Lakewood. Most
Lakewoodites knew Betty by sight, especially in the past seven years during her battle with cancer.
She was often seen with a walking stick as tall as she was heading up to the Root Cafe for
tea in the afternoon and to talk with people. Betty was unbelievably sharp, and could carry on
an in depth conversation about everything and anything from motorcycles and cars, to
religion, politics, war, love, health, poetry, journalism and her true loves, books and cats.
I first met Betty at Watkins Glen motor sports track, where she was with her first husband,
who passed away decades ago. Betty later spread his ashes, as he had asked, at the
Watkins Glen motor sports circuit. She would marry Dennis Skitzki, who survives her.
Dennis was a motorcycle racer that lost a leg in an accident but stayed in bikes, cars and
racing. For a long period of time Dennis took care of Mickey Mishne's multimillion dollar
Bugatti's which he raced. Nearly every weekend for decades Betty would be there, talking
racing like a pro.
Back home, she shied away from publicity, but was brought in by the City of Cleveland,
and the Cleveland Indians to get rid of the Rocky Colavito curse that kept them from the
World Series. She became active as the white witch at the Unitarian Church in Rocky
River, and kept her herb garden for potions and cures going in their yard on Gladys. I
remember over a decade ago, the city wanting her to "clean up" her yard. They came over
and were not only given a lecture about what every plant was, but what it could be used
for. Rumor has it that one of the inspectors walked away with a cure for insomnia, and
slept like a baby from that meeting on. Needless to say, the garden stayed.
Betty, my dear, I miss you already.
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