Elizabeth J. Cloonan

Elizabeth Jean Cloonan, 68, of Fremont NH, died February 23, 2022, at Portsmouth Regional Hospital after a courageous battle with various health issues.

Born and raised in Medford, MA on June 27, 1953, she was the youngest child of the late John and Victoria (Miller) Cloonan.

Liz or Betsy, as she was known to family and friends, was a graduate of Medford High School and Middlesex Community College.  She held various jobs over the years including the majority of her career with the MDC and then the DCR, from where she retired after many years.  Her love of animals, especially horses, and the outdoors led her to hold positions at the MDC barracks in Medford and later in Stoneham on the grounds of Stone Zoo, caring for the state police horses.  She later worked at Nahant Beach in the summer and the DCR skating rink in Dorchester, managing staff and driving the Zamboni.

Betsy loved her family and especially holiday gatherings at their homes.  Often accompanied by one or more of her faithful Boxers, she even occasionally brought along her horse, Red, for the nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews to ride on.  She loved playing sometimes rowdy card games with the family, especially Whist and May I.  She was always smiling and laughing.

Liz had a large group of friends from various walks of her life, some were like her family. They describe her as smart, kind, honest, caring, funny, always positive, always smiling or laughing.

A hard worker, she was known for breeding and showing AKC Boxers, often caring for several dogs, a cat, her horse and goats as well as her home and property.  She had enjoyed years of riding, roping and trips to dude ranches – even a cattle drive out west.  A very active person, she was sidelined in recent years due to her health conditions and loss of much mobility.

Liz is survived by her sisters Lee Jackson of Winchester, MA, Vickie Capraro and her husband Joe of North Reading, Ma, Judy Marino of Tewksbury, MA and her brother John Cloonan and his wife Pat of Waterboro, Maine. She is predeceased by her brother Bob Ferrera and his wife Sandy.  She also leaves many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, great-grandnieces and -nephews.

She touched so many lives in so many ways and will be missed and forever loved.

A private celebration of Liz’s life will be held with her family and close friends.  Her ashes will be buried with her parents at Oak Grove Cemetery in Medford at a later time.  Please consider making a donation in Liz’s name to the National Lymphedema Network or The American Lung Association.