Elizabeth J. Natoli

Elizabeth J. “Bette” Natoli, 90, a Norwich native, passed away after a long illness on Saturday, July 11, 2020 at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, MA.

Born on September 7, 1929, Bette was the daughter of Percy F. and Marion (Lawrence) Jackson. She was a 1947 graduate of Norwich High School, then attended Hartwick College, in Oneonta. She was unable to finish her studies at Hartwick due the unexpected death of her father.

At age 20, Bette was hired at the Norwich Pharmacal Co. She worked there her entire working life until her retirement. Bette was one of the first female managers at the pharmaceutical company. She was the head of the department that oversaw the entire, nationwide fleet of vehicles used by the company’s sales force. Bette oversaw vehicle purchases, sales, maintenance, and sales force reimbursement requests related to their use. She was also one of the first female members of the management board of the company. Due to her experience, Bette also became an active member of the Empire State Association of Fleet Administrators, having served for a time as its Chairperson – the first woman to hold this title. She also organized the central New York region of the fleet administrator’s association.

On January 22, 1966, in Norwich, Bette married her devoted partner in life, Thomas J. Natoli, who survives.

Bette was also active in the First Baptist Church of Norwich where she taught Sunday school and served on the church’s board of directors. Later in life, she was a communicant of St. Bartholomew’s Church. Bette served the local Republican Party as well, having served as the Treasurer and Secretary of local Republican organizations. She also enjoyed spending time at her homes in Norwich, NY, and in Cape Cod.

In addition to her parents, Bette was predeceased by her brothers, Richard and Robert Jackson, and her sister-in-law, Doris Jackson. In addition to her husband, Bette is survived by her sisters-in-law, Phyllis Jackson, Linda Natoli and her husband, Richard, Gloria Natoli, and Concetta Wuensch and her husband, Emil, as well as several nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.

A private Mass of Christian Burial for Bette will be celebrated on Tuesday, July 21, 2020, at the Church of St. Bartholomew, where the Rev. Ralph A. Bove, pastor, will officiate. Burial will immediately follow at Mt. Hope Cemetery. Friends are invited to call at the Wilson Funeral Home on Tuesday from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. To ensure the safety of all in attendance, please enter the funeral home through the side doorway and observe appropriate social distancing and sanitary practices, including facial coverings.