Cherished family and home
WAKEFIELD — Elizabeth Margaret Cullen, “Betty” to her friends, a longtime resident of Wakefield and Chilmark died peacefully at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital on September 21, 2022, after a brief illness. She was 91.
Elizabeth was born in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia on May 9, 1931, the third child of Sarah McInnes Zsakovits and Charles Zsakovits. The cultural traditions of both sides of her family were important influences in her life. Elizabeth’s father was of Hungarian descent and her mother of Scottish descent. As a child she enjoyed a comfortable and stable family life until World War II. Her family immigrated to England in 1948 during the Russian occupation because her mother’s British citizenship was restored due to the “War Brides Act.” Elizabeth was deeply grateful to the United Kingdom for providing a haven for her family but always felt keenly the loss of her country of birth.
In London, Elizabeth worked at MGM Film Rental and eventually attended Westminster College of Commerce and Marlborough Gate Secretarial College where she learned shorthand, typing and other secretarial skills. Subsequently, she was employed first by British Reinforced Engineering Company and then by Crosse & Blackwell.
At a dance in London, Elizabeth met her future husband and the love of her life, Seamus Francis Cullen, a charismatic and entrepreneurial Irishman from County Galway, newly demobilized by the British army. In 1956, they emigrated together from London to Toronto, Canada where they were married. Though they came from completely different backgrounds, theirs was a true and enduring love match.
In Toronto, Elizabeth worked at the Bank of Nova Scotia as a stenographer until the birth of her first child when she retired to become a fulltime mother. In 1961, the young family moved to New Hampshire to stay with Elizabeth’s maternal Uncle. Seamus commuted to work in Massachusetts. They eventually settled in Wakefield, Massachusetts where they raised their four children. Elizabeth loved being a wife and mother and especially cherished family outings on the weekends. During these years, Elizabeth was a member Congregational Church women’s Open Circle and volunteered as a driver for FISH. She was passionate about good food, especially shellfish and dark chocolate, baked bread weekly, and enjoyed trying out recipes she found in the local newspaper.
In the late 1960s, the family visited Martha’s Vineyard for the first time, camping at Webb’s Campground. The family loved the Vineyard so much that camping at Webb’s became the highlight of summer vacations. In the early 1980s Elizabeth and Seamus built a home in Menemsha. There, they enjoyed many happy summers with family and island friends. In all the places she lived, but especially on the Vineyard, Elizabeth felt a deep connection to nature. She loved taking walks on the beach and in the Menemsha Hills, watching the birds, and tending her garden.
In 1994, after a long illness, Seamus passed away. Elizabeth continued to divide her time between Wakefield and the Vineyard. She relished time spent with her children and grandchildren, but never stopped missing the love of her life. Up to the end of her life, she shared with her family cherished memories of the food, music, language, crafts, and holiday traditions of her childhood.
Elizabeth is survived by her children and their families; Moira Cullen and her children Ryan, Brendan, and Colin Martin; Alison Cullen, Chris Bretherton and their children Ross and Kyle Bretherton; Sarah Cullen-Laux, Stefan Laux and their children Kevin, Fiona, and Linnea Laux; Brian Cullen, Dani Coleman and their children Oona Cullen and Miles Coleman. She was buried in a private family ceremony at Abel’s Hill Cemetery on October 15, 2022.
Memorial donations may be made to Doctors Without Borders, www.doctorswithoutborders.org