Betty Harris Lamborn

August 2, 1935 – September 17, 2022
Betty H. Lamborn passed away September 17, 2022. A longtime resident of Essex Fells and Montclair, she left a legacy of benevolence, philanthropy, loyalty, and kindness.
Born in Wheeling, West Virginia in 1935 to Betty Bloch and Wilmot L. Harris, she was called “Bubbles” by her father. Happy, fair, quietly competitive, and very observant, she lived a grand life, one that she cut out for herself, quietly. She attended The Holton-Arms School and Briarcliffe College. By 1957 she’d moved to New York City and earned the job of Assistant to the CEO of I. Miller shoes, headquartered in the Empire State Building, on the 82nd floor. Two things about this job changed her life. First, by accounts, she was the first female Director of Marketing and Public Relations of a major corporation in New York. Second, she was petrified of heights. Around this time, she met George Lamborn through their best friends, and the group hit the clubs and made their rounds. After marrying in 1959 they moved to Essex Fells where they raised two daughters.
Betty soon joined the Junior League of Montclair-Newark and began a storied career. First, she organized grocery runs with members who drove their children into downtown Newark during the riots and supervised the children as they delivered grocery bags of food to the local children. She next suggested a cookbook as a fundraiser. Entirely Entertaining, edited by Betty, became the number one selling Junior League cookbook in the country. Its first printing was in 1968, and it was printed into the 80’s. In 1974 she and Joan Crowther edited and published Fifteen Affairs to benefit the Essex Fells PTA.
While visiting Santa Barbara she attended a Designer Showhouse and returned home to propose the Junior League sponsor one. She was appointed Chairman and the first Montclair Showhouse was created. Of course, this stimulated her in more directions. She redesigned and redecorated her home in Essex Fells, face lifted her home in Stratton, Vermont, and she designed the Commodities Exchange trading floor in 4 World Trade Center and the corporate offices for Shearson American Express in 2 World Trade Center.
During these busy years, Betty inadvertently created a very big job for herself. While married to George, she ended up organizing special events for Shearson American Express. They had no department managing this, so she stepped into the role, hosting conventions with 3500+ people….travel, hotel, events, meals, and entertainment. She created activities for wives and was lauded as extraordinary. She introduced many to Marco Island, Kiawah, and Mauna Kea.
As a member of Montclair Golf Club since 1959, she took it upon herself to organize and “host” The Fourth of July festivities and other holiday and special events until “they finally hired someone.”
In 1991 she joined The Garden Club of Montclair. Awarded Emeritus Status in 2019, she served on the Board of Trustees as well as on many committees until 2016 when her illness intervened. For 25 years she gave generously of her talents as a cook, hostess, connoisseur of food, and cookbook writer. She had a natural flair for creating ingenious ideas and events to raise money for the benefit of the Club and the community. It was a love and passion of hers to create benefits that were fun, memorable and profitable…and of course beautiful. Among her accomplishments, Ways and Means contributions, and much more, she edited a third cookbook for The Garden Club, Whisk Right In.
Meanwhile, during all of this, Betty played a lot of bridge, A LOT. Well-known for her mastery of contract bridge, she often appeared in the New York Times, at last count (2004) over 50 mentions. She was a lifetime Gold Master and competed around the world, at the request of her friends. She played tournaments with them, for them to get better, and win. It was never just for her.
A lifelong fluffy pet owner, she shared “Why would you have a pet if not to spoil them?” Incredibly stylish, and mistaken for Jackie Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor in New York City repeatedly, she was always on top of trend, fashion and design. She loved to travel, especially by boat, and always had a precise itinerary in mind. She was passionate about the decorative arts, homes and gardens, galleries and museums and the occasional church. As a passenger, she was a ringer for trivia, and equipped with a deck of cards, needlepoint, and a very astute, sharp wit and sense of direction. At age 62 she checked hot air ballooning off her bucket list. She wanted to overcome her fear of heights. When she got down, she said “I’ll do that again and again, but I’m still not getting on a ferris wheel.”
She is survived by her daughters, Elizabeth (Lisa) Lamborn Adams and Shelly L. Lamborn, and her siblings, Mike, Jessie, and Randy Harris, as well as many many nieces and nephews. She is also survived by Dora Casas, her 55 year long confidant, aide, and dear friend, and Mitzi Benoit, her companion and nurse. She adored her life-long friends from all over the world. May we all share her grace and compassion for others.
She is hosting her last luncheon at The Montclair Golf Club on October 27, at 11 a.m. Please RSVP to Lisa by October 20, at (404) 556-1914. Condolences may be sent to Lisa at 256 Harding Place, Belle Meade, TN 37205. Funeral Arrangements were entrusted to Shook-Farmer Funeral Home, Roseland, NJ, shookfarmer.com.
In lieu of flowers please consider donations to The Garden Club of Montclair, Bonnie Brae, Hazelden, St. Jude’s or your local Humane Society.