On April 23, 2024, Mrs. Bette Marie (Seamans) McBain, passed away peacefully at her home in Coronado, CA surrounded by family. She had resided in California since moving there in 2005.

Bette was born in Central New York in 1926 to Norris Seamans and Annabel (Stacy) Seamans and lived her childhood in Upstate NY, mostly in Syracuse and Camden. It was acknowledged that at birth, her father paid the delivering doctor with fur pelts. She was married in 1947 to Horace Ernest (Bud) McBain (USMC) of Camden, NY. They raised two daughters, Suzanne Lee and Sheila Lynn in Verona, NY before retiring to live in Verona Beach. Her early career included working at the Verona Elementary School while Bud was the owner/operator of H.E. McBain Oil Company serving the Central NY area. After Bud became ill, Bette ran the Oil Company for several years before moving to CA.

Bette was an accomplished, award-winning lifelong professional artist. A graduate of The Munson Williams Proctor Institute and Syracuse University, she painted in oils, pastels, acrylics and water colors. Her work (www.bettesartbythesea.com) is in collections nationally and worldwide, including the Art Collection of Pulitzer Prize recipient, Mr. Philip Santorra and The Van Houtte Collection of Tucson, AZ. Her early works featured complex seascapes and her later work specialized in impressionistic florals and beautiful abstract scenes in nature. One of the highlights of her life was her visit to Paris with daughter Sheila and included an inspirational visit to Monet’s home, gardens and lake. Bette was an art instructor at MVCC in Utica for a number of years and was a founding member of The Central NY Watercolor Society. After relocating to Coronado, CA, she enjoyed being a member of the San Diego Water Color Society and taught private water color lessons to local art students.

Bette was predeceased by her husband Bud, daughter Suzanne McBain Anderson, as well as her three sisters; Marlene (Bud Plumley), Muriel (Pete Gullato), Geraldine (Wallace Howland). She is survived by daughter Sheila Lynn McBain-Clark (Robert-USN) of Coronado, CA. and had two grandchildren; Robert Jared McBain Clark (Alex) of Washington DC, and Brooke A. Lamondie Clark Keating (Guy - USN) of Virginia and great granddaughter Scout Lillian Sergent. Bette had numerous nieces and nephews across New England including Camden, Utica, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Her niece, Mrs. Jill Howland Phelps of Camden, NY, spent many hours conversing with her and provided Bette with her yearly subscription to the Queen Central News which she greatly enjoyed.

A private family memorial service will be held prior to internment alongside her husband Bud at The Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego. Special thanks go to Vicki (Oneida) and Alex Dutch-Jones for their support to Bette and the Clark family and to Delores Paragas for her many devoted hours as caregiver. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations may be made to the Charles Humphrey Keating IV Foundation.