Elizabeth ( Betsy ) Hope Streightif passed away in Payson, Ariz., Dec. 2 at the age of 59. She passed away from a stroke due to complications resulting from years of numerous chemical exposures.
Streightif was born March 5, 1945, and was raised in the suburbs of Chicago. At age 23, she was stricken with a syndrome that left her disabled for the reminder of her life. In her late 20s she moved to Chicago and became active in the women's health movement in the early '70s, co-founding the Chicago Women's Health Center, which is still in existence. Betsy was the one to open the door of the center to its first patient wearing a tuxedo. She will also be remembered as the best woman mechanic in Chicago during the '70s and early '80s, sharing a small 'curbside' auto repair business with her business partner, Margie.
She also was involved with the Jane project, and she built a small private practice as a client-centered therapist 'and did brilliant work in spite of her illness,' friends said, but in the late '90s had to give up practicing due to her ill health.
In 1984, Streightif was exposed to a chemical solvent from fiberglass that ultimately left her vulnerable to many chemicals, pesticides, and solvents. She spent the next 20 years battling multiple chemical sensitivities that left her continuously homeless, searching for safe housing and medical treatment to get better. Streightif eventually settled in Arizona.
She was a member of a Chicago multiple chemical sensitivity support group and managed the database for the Canary Newsletter for several years. She actively participated on discussion lists online dealing with multiple chemical sensitivities, helping others learn about and cope with this devastating disease.
She met and fell in love with her life partner, Kathleen Sykora in the early '80s. They were a devoted couple of almost 23 years, surviving the rollercoaster life of multiple chemical sensitivities, which, for as anyone who knew them will understand, a survival that was a testament to their love for each other.
Her remains were cremated and the ashes given to her life partner. A memorial service will be held in Chicago in May 2005. Details will be announced in May. She is survived by her life partner Kathleen Sykora, sister, Cynthia Kelsheimer, nieces and nephews and many, many friends across the country that adored her. She will always be remembered as embracing life, having the best sense of humor and having a fierce love for those she cared about. She touched the hearts of so many people. She will be deeply missed.