Obituary of Elizabeth S. (Scalise) "Bette Day" Kilham

BETTE DAY BOSTON TV PIONEER DIES Bette Day- Elizabeth Scalise Kilham died suddenly in her sleep on Saturday, March 4, 2006 at her Brooksby Village Condo, Peabody, MA. She was 81. Bette Day joined WBZ TV in the late 1940’ s and was one of two Television Girls at Boston’ s first TV station. She was selected to do the commercials for the popular Don Kent whose weather forecasts were a must for New England viewers. Bette was also asked to be hostess of Pleasure Playhouse. Bette Scalise Kilham met her future husband, Eugene Kilham, when she came to WBZ for an audition. He saw the possibilities in the tall beautiful young woman not only for television but as his wife. They were married on Thanksgiving Day in 1948 by her father The Rev. Victor F. Scalise and with their good friend and WBZ news personality as the best man, Victor Best. Bette was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, January 13, 1925 daughter of the late Victor F. and Adelina (Filandino) Scalise. From birth it was clear she was a bright and talented child. She discovered what she wanted to do when her father took her to New York as a young girl to The New York Public Library, Broadway and Radio City Music Hall. After that trip he asked her what would you like to be? Bette said she knew then and there that she wanted to be a performer. In 1942 she entered Roger’ s Hall School for Girls in Lowell, Massachusetts. She starred in the school’ s theatrical productions. She was encouraged to attend Mt. Holyoke but her lifetime friend had gone to Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Colby it was. There she was the head of Powder and Wig, the Colby Drama Society. She won an internship to Connecticut College for Women in the summer to further study drama. Television was the new medium and she entered it in Boston. She discovered that her real love and passion was radio. She worked with Boston’ s best- Alan Derry, Bill Marlow, Norm Nathan and a host of others. She was heard for years on The Music of Your Life. Her trademark before many a song was- When in doubt play Goodman or Miller. Bette Day developed a loyal following from those of The Greatest Generation and even from some young people of the younger generations. She taught radio at Emerson College in Boston and one of her brightest and best students was to become an icon in Boston on WBZ- the legendary Dave Maynard. In the 1980’ s in addition to the part-time radio work she taught Communications at New England Institute. She became a nationally recognized speaker for the college and for the Dodge Chemical Company. For many she became The Voice of The Funeral Service Profession. She worked to make Funeral Professionals more sensitive listeners to the bereaved. Betty Day was in demand as a speaker from coast to coast on themes from The Widow and Death to Coping and Mastering Loss. She continued as a communicator in the last phase of her life. Five years ago she moved to Brooksby Village in Peabody, MA. Bette said, I should have done this five years earlier. It revitalized her as a person. She worked tirelessly as a volunteer in all facets of life at Brooksby. She led a bereavement group. She was elected to the Brooksby Council and served on the community Religious Committee. At her death she was planning a cruise through Europe with seven other friends. She was active, vital and alert to the end. She is survived by her only child, a son, Christopher Scott Kilham of Leverett, MA and her only sibling, The Rev. Dr. Victor F. Scalise, Jr. and his wife Mary E. Scalise of Brookline, MA; 2 nieces, Carolyn Love of Brookline, Suzanne Scalise of Old Orchard, ME; a nephew and his wife, Douglas and Jill Scalise of Brewster; 4 grandnephews, Pietro Abruzzo, Gabriel Reid of Brookline, Nathan and Gregory Scalise of Brewster. A service will be held Saturday, March 11, 3:00 p.m. in the Brooksby Chapel, Brooksby Village, Peabody, MA. The internment at Laurel Hills Cemetery in Saco, Maine will be private. Donations may be made in her memory to The Ocean Park Association (for programming in the arts) 15 Colby Ave., Ocean Park, ME 04063. Arrangements by the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, Peabody.