BETTY DEBLOIS
Guidance Counselor 1972 1997
Betty DeBlois came to Mount Greylock in October of 1972 as a substitute teacher but soon
became a part time English and social studies teacher. In l975 she transferred to the
Guidance Department, becoming a middle school guidance counselor.
Students loved "Mrs. D" for her strong support and advocacy for students, for
her love of each of them, and for her willingness to go the extra mile for them. She was
more than a guidance counselor in their young lives; Betty was a friend in whom they could
trust. Listening carefully to middle schoolers, she treated their concerns, worries, and
joys with respect. Betty was a teacher, a counselor, a security blanket to her students.
She knew them all by name.
Parents, co-workers, and friends also felt strongly about Bettys qualities, beliefs,
and strengths. Her big-heartedness enfolded everyone, adults and students alike.
Bettys death in November of 1997 shook the school. For many students it was their
first real lesson of death, grief, and loss. It was a hard lesson for all.