Elizabeth "Betty" L. Phelan

Elizabeth "Betty" Louella (Henninger) Phelan, age 100 of Sharpsburg passed away on
Monday, April 7, 2025. Betty was born in Shaler Township and later moved to
Sharpsburg where she lived for many years, most recently as a resident of the
Sharpsburg Towers for over 30 years.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Raymond and Frances Henninger, husband
Daniel J. Phelan, brothers Robert, Raymond, John and Wayne Henninger, sister Joan
Kuntz and infants Joseph and Louise. Betty is survived by son Michael (Althea) Phelan
and daughter Patty Phelan, grandchildren Erin (Terrell) Klaas and Shawn Phelan, great
grandchildren Devon (Molly), Emma and Cole Klaas and Jackson and Damon Phelan.
She is also survived by godson Kevin (Lou Ann) Streiff, dear friends Doug Bell and
Laura Lipner, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and wonderful friends.
Betty had a successful career at UPMC St. Margaret Hospital as a Physical Therapist
Assistant for over 16 years. After retirement, she shifted her focus to a wide range of
volunteer efforts. Betty was a member of Christ the King Parish where she volunteered
for over 30 years in many capacities. She was honored as a recipient of the
Manifesting the Kingdom Award in 2009. She also volunteered at the St. Vincent
DePaul Food Bank and the VA Medical Center in O’Hara Township. She was a member
of the VFW Auxiliary 709, the Regina Elena Club and the San Juan Diego Christian
Mothers.
Betty enjoyed many hobbies and activities including reading, gardening, completing
jigsaw puzzles, and attending exercise class. She was an avid sports fan, especially to
the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and stayed fiercely loyal to the Pirates even when
others did not. She loved nature, birds, Miller Lite and Chardonnay and her day was not
complete unless she watched the standard Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy lineup.
Betty kept up with technology priding herself on her skills and ultimately chose texting
over phone calls. While apps like FaceTime challenged her at times, she was the emoji
expert often finding the most obscure emojis to insert into her texts. She especially
enjoyed communicating with anyone who was on her contact list during each holiday to
wish them well and eagerly anticipate their responses. She also looked forward to her
early morning daily sports banter with Kevin. She was gifted an Alexa device a few
years ago which soon became a new friend in the living room using it as a weather
forecaster, encyclopedia or just to say good morning.
Betty was also extremely proud of her participation in The Anna Seethaler Ole 5K for 8
years, having won medals in her age group multiple times. She completed her first race at age 84 and concluded her run at age 91. She had an amazing sense of humor and
regaled many with her jokes and humorous stories (in particular, John, Doug and
Joshua who greatly anticipated her latest dad jokes). Many of her jokes began as a
story and some of her intended audience members were unsure whether she was
telling an actual story or if it was, in fact, a joke. Although she did get frustrated
sometimes with those who did not understand the punchlines. Betty was known by
many as “Betty Boop” especially at the Sharpsburg Towers. Her collection of Betty
Boop memorabilia was vast stemming from many gifts over the years.
She achieved her milestone 100 th birthday in September and had an incredible time
celebrating with friends – many cakes, a pie, a mimosa bar, plentiful glasses of wine,
several floral arrangements, over 100 birthday cards, and a proclamation and visit from
Kayla Portis, Sharpsburg Mayor were included in the festivities. She preferred to
describe herself as 18 with 82 years of experience. She will be remembered for her
thoughtful, compassionate and generous spirit and those who had the opportunity to
spend time with her were made better as a result.
Special thanks to the UPMC Family Hospice Team and the staff at Harmony Hills for
their kind and compassionate care during the last few months. Additional thanks to Dr.
Christina Alimin and Dr. Joshua Levenson for their ongoing care over the years. Much
appreciation to the Three Rivers Praise and Worship Center for their sponsored
meetings and events at the Sharpsburg Towers as well as their many visits to Betty
during her final months.
“Remember me with smiles and laughter, for that is how I’ll remember you all. If you
can only remember me with tears, then don’t remember me at all.” LAURA INGALLS
WILDER
Friends and family will be received at Slater Funeral & Cremation Services, Inc. Sharpsburg, 820 Main Street, Sharpsburg, PA 15215, on Sunday, April 13 from 2-8 pm. An optional final farewell will be held at
the funeral home on Monday, April 14 at 9:00 am followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at Christ the King
Parish in Madonna of Jerusalem Church, 220 9 th Street, Sharpsburg, PA 15215, at 10:00 am. The funeral services
will end at the conclusion of the mass. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be
made to Aspinwall Meals on Wheels (450 Walnut Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15238)
http://www.aspinwallmealsonwheels.org/ or to the St. Vincent DePaul Food Bank
(Sharpsburg Food Pantry, 210 Garnier St., Pittsburgh, PA 15215)
https://sharpsburgfoodpantry.org/