Elizabeth McNamer
December 21, 1936 - January 13, 2025
Obituary
Elizabeth McNamer died in the early morning of January 13 with two of her children by her side. She was 88.
McNamer (née Forster) was born in Tipperary, Ireland. She attended boarding school and university in England and emigrated to America in 1960. In 1961, she met Bill McNamer in Aspen, Colorado, and returned with him to Billings three days later. They were married on May 13, 1961. Bill practiced law in Billings, and Elizabeth was active in the community, devoting her prodigious energy and support to the Billings Symphony, Community Concert Series, Rimrock Opera, Yellowstone Art Center, Great Books Program, American Association of University Women, Billings Studio Theater, the Billings Gazette, and St. Patrick's Church. Her radio program, “Tea and Poetry,” aired on KEMC public radio for over a decade. In 1990, she received her EdD in Adult Education from Montana State University in Bozeman.
After their children had grown, she returned to teaching in the Religious Studies Departments of MSU Billings and Rocky Mountain College. For many years she led a study tour to the Bethsaida Excavations Project in Israel and collaborated with international experts on Bethsaida scholarship. Bill died three days after their fiftieth wedding anniversary, in 2011. In 2015, Elizabeth married widower and long-time friend, Dr. Guy Glenn. They spent five happy years together before he died in September 2020.
Elizabeth was known throughout the Billings community for her distinctive British accent, her warmth and hospitality, her keen intellect, flair for performance, love of her students, and ability to bring to life the subjects she taught and cared about. She could recite countless poems from memory and knew one for every occasion. She ran six miles a day for 40 years and could be seen out early each morning on Poly Drive, before attending 6:30 mass at St. Patrick's. She was a devout Catholic all of her life and found strength and comfort in observing her faith. She and Bill were Third Order Franciscans. She loved spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren, whom she took on many Frog and Toad Club outings, wearing hats.
Elizabeth is survived by her children Timothy, Bruce (Marz), Sarah (Tim), Bridget (Glenn), Amy (Jim) and Deirdre (Alex), and by grandchildren Kaylee, Michael, Claire, Ellida, Jack, Kate, Kathleen, Bridget, Hugh and Henry. Beloved little Zoe passed away in 2013, aged three years.
Funeral services will be at Saint Patrick's Co-Cathedral on Saturday, January 25, at 11:30 am.
In lieu of planting a tree or sending flowers, Elizabeth has requested that donations be made on behalf of her beloved granddaughter Zoe to the Red Lodge Area Community Foundation.