Elisabeth “Betty” Huntingdon Chase Odum died on Thursday, February 18th, 2021, in Gainesville, FL, after having had COVID-19 a few weeks earlier.
A New Englander by birth and stock, she and her young family moved to Gainesville, FL, in 1958, and she resided there for the rest of her life. She loved the wild nature that surrounded her and shared that love with hundreds of students, her children and her many grandchildren. A biologist, ecologist, educator, engaged citizen, and wicked-good card player, she made many contributions to her community and world during her 95 years on this Earth.
Born in Hartford, CT on September 24th, 1925 to Eugene Parker Chase and Ann Francis Hastings Chase, Betty grew up in an academic family and passed on this heritage to four children, eleven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.
She attended Swarthmore College, a historically Quaker institution, majoring in Zoology. She was an exceptional student and was admitted to Hahnemann Medical College at graduation in 1947. But love and tradition would take hold of her, and she forwent this opportunity to elope with her Swarthmore sweetheart, John Morris Trimmer, and they started a family.
After giving birth to four children, she returned to college and earned her M. Ed. In 1963 from the University of Florida so that she could become a teacher. She joined the faculty of Santa Fe Junior College in 1969 as an instructor of Biology. When she retired in 2001, she became a Professor Emerita. During her tenure, she advocated for engaged learning and equal opportunity for women to teach and helped lead the college in that direction.
In 1973, she married Howard T. Odum, PhD., a pioneer in the field of systems ecology. The two embarked on a partnership that took them to speak and lecture in many countries throughout the world. She co-authored several important publications with H.T. Odum, including three books “Energy Basis for Man and Nature” (McGraw-Hill, 1976), “Modeling for All Scales” (Academic Press, 2000) “The Prosperous Way Down,” (University of Colorado Press, 2001) and a fourth book for which Mark Brown joined the Odums as coauthor, “Environment and Society in Florida” (Lewis Publishers, 1998).
After H.T. Odum’s death on September 11, 2002, she continued to take an interest in and was supportive of his life’s work, which she had shared and participated in. Betty joined Dan Campbell, her son-in-law, in first advocating for and then establishing the International Society for the Advancement of Emergy Research, a.k.a., the Emergy Society, a scientific professional organization dedicated to research, teaching, and communication of H.T. Odum’s seminal linked ideas, Emergy and Transformity that was founded in July of 2007. While she was a key player in the founding of this organization and she also was an active force in nurturing the organization in its early years, serving a Secretary of the ISAER Executive Council for about 6 years and building the Emergy Society’s first website, using the build-it-yourself tool, Yahoo Site Builder. Betty continued to be active in the Emergy Synthesis conferences held biennially at the University of Florida through the 2018 conference at which time she was 93 years old.
In 2016, she traveled with her daughter Kathy Trimmer’s family including Kathy's husband and H.T.’s student , Dr. Daniel E. Campbell, and her grandson, Dr. Elliott T. Campbell to participate in the 2016 EcoSummit held in Montpelier, France. At this conference, she gave a speech accepting a life-time achievement award for her husband, Professor H.T. Odum. Despite her failing health and short term memory loss, Betty maintained an active interest in the scientific work of the Emergy Society until her death. Betty was a major donor to the work of the Emergy Society and she could always be counted on to help financially when needed.
Combining her passion for nature with her knowledge of biology and Quakerism, Betty was an advocate for conservation of natural resources, family and world peace. She unleashed a flock of environmental scientists and community builders among her grandchildren and took great pride in their work and families.
She was predeceased by her parents; two husbands; her sister Kathleen Ann Chase Sibun; and her step-daughter Ann Odum.
She is survived by her four children and their spouses: Ruth Trimmer and Burton Smith, Alachua, FL; Peter Trimmer and Jane Doyle, Silver Spring, MD; Kathleen Trimmer and Dan Campbell, Wakefield, RI; S. Morris Trimmer and Amy DeHart, Lexington, VA; one step-daughter, Mary Odum Logan (Gainesville); eleven grandchildren: Quilla Miralia; Luke Trimmer-Smith; Elliott Campbell; Eryn Trimmer; Anthony Campbell; Russell Trimmer; Tanya Trimmer; Kristina Campbell; Maya DeHart; Tolya Trimmer; and Olivia Trimmer; one step-granddaughter, Kelsey Logan Jay; one step great-granddaughter; eight great grandchildren; and two nieces, Barbara Sibun and Penny Sibun.
A celebration of her life will take place at the Gainesville Friends Meeting when the pandemic recedes. She will be cremated and buried in Hebron, CT, alongside her parents and sister. If you would like to make a memorial contribution in her honor, please consider American Friends Service Committee or Santa Fe College - scholarships or the Emergy Society. Please feel free to share any memories of Betty in the comment section below.
Betty was an amazing person and and she created the first version of the Emergy Society website.
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