Elizabeth Mary Pennachio, born Elizabeth Mary Attanasio and lovingly known as Betty on the East Coast and Liz on the West Coast, passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at 9:15 AM. She was 98.

She was born in 1926 in Astoria, Long Island, New York. In the late 1950s, she moved to Southern California, first settling in Los Angeles County and later in Orange County. But no matter how long she lived out West, she never let go of her New York roots. She was a proud New Yorker through and through, and her ties to family back East remained strong throughout her life.

She married Frank Anthony Pennachio, and together they raised six children: Jacqueline, Sandra, Patricia, Frank, and identical twins Joseph and Steven.

Elizabeth lived through nearly a century of change and stayed curious every step of the way. She saw the first home refrigerators, learned how to shop online, and even used social media to stay in touch with her grandkids. She drove until she was 92 and always stayed connected to the world around her.

She was an award-winning ballroom dancer who loved music, books, movies, crossword puzzles, and the New York Yankees. And while cooking wasn’t her favorite thing, she was a great chef—her meals became staples at family gatherings.

She celebrated her loved ones with enthusiasm and expressed her affection freely. She would share in your pain just as quickly as your joy, offering a listening ear, a full heart, and whatever she had to give. She was deeply generous. Smart, stylish, organized, and full of opinions, she brought warmth, thoughtfulness, and spirit to every relationship in her life.

Her greatest legacy is the family she built.

Elizabeth is preceded in death by her husband, Frank; her daughter, Jacqueline; and her granddaughter, Rebecca. She is survived by her children: Sandra, Patricia, Frank, Joseph, and Steven; her grandchildren—Carrie, Tracy, Elizabeth, Robert, Richard, Andrew, Hallie, Emily, Victoria, Alexandra, Joseph, and Julia; her great-grandchildren—Caitlin, Seth, Zack, Yolanda, Ulises, Dominic, Gianna, Grace, Thomas, Goldie, June, Henry, Francis, Bridget, Javay, Jarred, and Michael; and her great-great-grandchildren—Charles, Nathan, Katelyn, Eddie, and Michael.

A funeral mass will be held at San Francisco Solano Church in Rancho Santa Margarita, California on May 14th 2025 at 10:00 AM. Elizabeth will be cremated, per her wishes.