Katherine Ann (deBettencourt) Tiernan passed away peacefully in her childhood home in Oak Bluffs on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.
She was a remarkable mother to her two children, Elizabeth Tiernan of Hudson, N.H., and John Tiernan of Oak Bluffs.
She was incredibly kind, patient, and giving, not only to her own kids but to other children who found themselves in her care. Nieces, nephews, neighbors’ kids, even the rowdy hooligans on the school buses she drove way back in the early ’80s, loved her because she always made them feel welcome and accepted, just as they were. She was that rare grownup who kids instinctively know is an ally.
She was the cherished wife of the late Edward D. Tiernan Jr. for 43 happy years. She was an adored and loyal sister, proud and supportive of her three big brothers, Nelson J. deBettencourt, Jr. (deceased), Allan (“Buddy”) deBettencourt (deceased), and David deBettencourt. Her beloved younger sister, Deborah deBettencourt Ratcliff, was her best friend. They loved to travel together, and spoke almost daily. She was Nana to Fin and Ezra, who are pictured with her because they made her shine with joy.
She was a trustworthy friend. If you needed anything — a shoulder to cry on, a ride to the hospital, emergency childcare, the shirt off her back — if she had it to give you, she would.
She loved Martha’s Vineyard, and never stopped thinking of it as her true home, even though she lived away from it for many years. Her memory for the family histories and stories of the Vineyard never ceased to amaze us.
There are not enough words to say how much she was loved, and will be missed.
Her memorial service will be celebrated on Thursday, Nov. 2, at St. Augustine’s Church, Franklin Street, Vineyard Haven, at 11 am, with burial in Oak Grove Cemetery, Pacific Avenue in Oak Bluffs, and a reception afterward at her son’s home in Oak Bluffs.
Visit chapmanfuneral.com for online condolences and information.
