Mary Elizabeth "Betsy" Brennan

Mary Elizabeth “Betsy” Brennan, beloved mother, sister, aunt, and friend passed away on Friday, April 12, 2024, surrounded by her family and friends. 

Her vibrant spirit joined her mother, Audley Berthaut Brennan, her father, Robert Joseph Brennan, Sr., and her brother, Robert Joseph Brennan, Jr.

Betsy grew up in New Orleans, LA, attending Archbishop Chapelle High School (‘78), Loyola University New Orleans (‘82), and finally Loyola University New Orleans College of Law (‘85).

Betsy lived many lives, a testament to her adventurous spirit, go get ‘em attitude, and amazing work ethic. There was nothing she couldn’t do. She started her professional life practicing civil litigation in New Orleans before working as a journalist for the Sea Coast Echo in Bay St. Louis, MS.

Her true calling, however, was shaping young minds as a knowledgeable, caring, thoughtful, and compassionate teacher. She taught for over 20 years in Catholic Schools, including Holy Trinity Catholic School, Our Lady Academy, and most recently St. Stanislaus College, and changed the lives of hundreds of students for the better. Throughout her years teaching, Betsy’s main goal was constant: to ensure that all of her students knew that they were loved and that they could accomplish anything they put their minds to. More than anything, Betsy was the most amazing mother. She was the epitome of sacrificial and unconditional love. She did everything for her daughters and went out of her way to make sure they were cared for, no matter what.

Betsy’s incredible legacy is continued by her two daughters, Mary Margaret Gagnet and Mathilde Gagnet, her three siblings, Kathleen Brennan Marlowe (James Edward “Jimmy” Marlowe, Brennan Marlowe, Keelan Marlowe, and Cahill Marlowe), Margaret “Peggy” Brennan (Tyler Wellington), and Timothy “Timmy” Brennan (Beth Brennan and Eleanor “Ellie” Brennan) and her nephew Robert Joseph Brennan, III (Alisa Brennan).

Visitation for Betsy will be held from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, Friday, April 19, 2024, at St. Rose de Lima Catholic Church in Bay St. Louis, MS, with a mass to follow. Interment is open to the public at the Gulf Coast Memorial Cemetery in Bay St. Louis, MS.

In lieu of flowers, Betsy’s daughters ask that you make a donation in her name to The King’s Kitchen: 2005 Longfellow Dr., Bay St. Louis, MS 39520, an outreach ministry to feed the unhoused and indigent in the community and an organization close to Betsy’s heart.