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BOARDMAN -- Elizabeth A. " Becky" Itts, 95, passed away Sunday, June 18, 2023, at her residence.
Born May 11, 1928, in Columbus, Elizabeth was the daughter of Dalton and Clara Beck Dunham. She was a graduate of Cardington High School in 1946 and attended St. Mary the Springs (now Ohio Dominican College), a finishing school, her freshman year, and then transferred to The Ohio State University to pursue a degree in architecture. However, with the GI Bill and being a woman, she was told she could not obtain a degree in architecture, so she decided on a bachelor's degree in fine arts/interior design, and she was able to persuade OSU into allowing her to take mechanical drawing, which gave her the tools to help with the blueprint designs on her two contemporary Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired homes in Canfield.
In 1977, she worked as a graduate assistant while completing her master's degree in psychology, and upon completion, became the director of the Career Development Center for Women at the YWCA. She then moved on to working at the YSU Alumni Department, where she worked on fundraisers and was instrumental in having the Harlem Globetrotters come to YSU. She later became an accomplished grant writer. She worked at the Kent State University Salem Branch as a career counselor, mentoring and changing the lives of countless women and men, a characteristic that followed her the rest of her life.
She was born in Columbus and lived on Gay Street downtown, where her father was a real estate broker and was working on a beautiful park when the stock market crashed in 1929. Losing everything, her father moved them to Cardington, Ohio, where he built back his real estate business with land contracts. He and his brother built the Stone Cardington Post Office and had their Dunham Realty office upstairs, and her mother worked the counter.
During the Depression, he taught at Wright Patterson Air Force Base and worked for the government in Cleveland, and at one point was asked by the Pentagon to work for them, but he declined.
Her father always treated her as an equal and told her that it was her duty to make a difference, and that she needed to step up to the plate and do her civic duty, which she did, becoming a political activist to preserve the integrity of the Canfield community through being instrumental in the recalling of a former mayor and bringing referendums.
Becky belonged to the Junior Women's League, where she was one of the masterminds starting the Fourth of July celebration in Canfield. She belonged to St. Michael's Altar Rosary Society, The Chesterton Club, the Bent Twig Garden Club, Bridge Club and WESSO (West Side South Side Organization of dentists and spouses) spousal volunteer in the Cordyn Palmer Dental Society, helping with dances and their variety shows, one time doing a Phyllis Diller comedy sketch, bringing down the house. She, along with other dental wives, put on puppet shows for the schools for Children's Dental Health Month. She started story time for the children at the Canfield Library with a friend.
Becky and Frank babysat their two local granddaughters, Jocelyn and Melanie, for over 12 years. Their grandchildren gave them so much joy, and she was so supportive, nurturing and inspirational to all of her grandchildren. When her great-grandchildren came along, she again was over the moon.
Elizabeth was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Frank Itts, whom she married June 23, 1951; and her brother, John Dunham.
She leaves to cherish her memory, her children, Cindy (Scott) Robbins of California, Mark (Mary) Itts of Canfield, Deirdre (Eric) Jones of Cardington, and Andrea and Bill of Canfield: six grandchildren, Kurt, Jocelyn, Melanie, Greg, Amy and Mark; and three great-grandchildren, Catherine, Nathan and Remi.
The family will receive relatives and friends 2 to 4 p.m. Monday, June 26, 2023, at Lane Funeral Homes, Canfield Chapel, followed by a service at 4 p.m.
She will be buried next to her husband, Tuesday, June 27, 2023.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Canfield Library.
(special notice)