It is with great sadness that we report the death of Betty Steele Romer, Amherst College’s former Director of Academic Computing. She died peacefully at her home in Amherst at age 92 on August 18, 2022. Betty was born in New York City to Natalie and Jack Sternberg on June 26, 1930. She graduated from the Brooklyn Technical High School and then enrolled at Rutgers University (Douglass College at the time). She completed her undergraduate studies at Wayne State University (Michigan), earning a BA in Mathematics and English Literature. Her career began at the dawn of the computer age with positions at Chrysler, and Bendix Aviation, and then Bell Labs. In 1968 Betty joined Amherst College as a part-time employee to oversee the newly acquired IBM 1130 computer. From this humble start, over the next 28 years she built Amherst’s academic computing program, guiding it through the evolution of computer technology as it progressed from mainframes to personal computers. Through her inclusive, driving, and visionary leadership she served generations of students and faculty, ultimately influencing the lives and careers of many. See https://www.amherst.edu/library/archives/holdings/friends-of-the-library-oral-histories/betty-romer.

In 1996 she retired from Amherst to pursue her lifelong interest in art by enrolling in the docent program at Hartford’s Wadsworth Atheneum. She became a leading docent at area art museums including the Springfield Museums, where she served for over 15 years. Betty is recalled by her colleagues as an extraordinary docent who was incredibly engaged, curious, and studious and a true educator — an exceptional ambassador for the Museums. In addition to giving tours, she was part of an outreach program whose objective was to take art presentations “on the road”. At the time of her death, she had just delivered presentations on Barnes and Piranesi.

Betty will be remembered as a truly gifted person, an innovator who was ahead of her time, and someone who cared deeply about making a difference and helping others. She was an inspiration to her friends and family, and will be greatly missed. She is survived by her loving husband of 28 years, Robert Romer, her son Neil Goodzeit and his wife Frances of Devon, PA, her grandson Elliot of Annapolis MD, her brother Joseph Sternberg of Southbury, CT, and her three stepsons, Evan, David, and Theodore Romer. She was preceded in death by her daughter Alison Goodzeit Aller. Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com