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Elizabeth “Betsy” Groat of Ho-Ho-Kus in Bergen County died on Wednesday, Oct. 30 after a battle with cancer, according to her obituary.
Groat, who taught physical education and coached at Westlake High School in Thornwood, dedicated 38 years to inspiring and supporting student-athletes in the Mount Pleasant School District, according to a GoFundMe page created in her honor that is intended to set up a scholarship in her name to go toward future students.
“The impact that she has had on countless lives is truly a tremendous feat,” the fundraiser reads. “She was full of life, and her positive energy was contagious.”
Groat graduated from Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusets in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree before going on to begin her career in Thornwood in 1980.
During her long career, which continued until her retirement in 2018, Groat was named Teacher of the Year by the school's PTA in 2007 and she also transformed the Varsity volleyball team into a "powerhouse" within the section, region, and state, according to Mount Pleasant Superintendent Peter Giarrizzo, who called her a Westlake "giant."
Groat was also the school's first Varsity Girls' soccer coach.
"As a teacher, the strength of her connections with students and families was unparalleled and her commitment to the health and wellness of her students was always at the forefront of her work," Giarrizzo wrote in a post on social media, adding, "Betsy’s legacy lives on through her students and the many colleagues that she worked alongside and mentored. Strong women lead with clarity and purpose and we all admire the strong women that we each have in our lives."
She is survived by her husband, Robert, of Ho Ho Kus, New Jersey; her sons, Jonathan of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and Ryan of Saddle Brook, New Jersey; and her granddaughter, Olivia, according to her obituary.
As of Tuesday, Nov. 26, the fundraiser created in Groat's memory had raised over $3,800 out of a $5,000 goal. Those who wish to contribute can do so by clicking here.
Click here to read Groat's full obituary.
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