Elizabeth Cain Inglesby

Elizabeth Cain Inglesby (Betsy), daughter of Gay Summers Inglesby and the late Samuel Powel Inglesby, Jr. passed away February 5, 2026 at Spanish Oaks Retreat in Savannah after a courageous five year journey with Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease. 

Betsy was a Professor of English, a talented musician, an exuberant collector of rarities, and a woman who loved to be deeply involved with the world around her. She was a passionate supporter of important causes.  She was charming and witty, and she loved conversation and connection with others in both social and intellectual settings. Her interest in her surroundings and desire to launch herself wholeheartedly into experiences of all kinds rewarded her with a richly diverse group of friends in each phase of life that she journeyed through.

Betsy was born on April 22nd, 1970, which also happened to be the very first Earth day. This proved to be quite fitting, as she later became something of an environmentalist when she set out into the world.  Betsy was born in Savannah, Ga and raised in Fairway Oaks before moving to the wilds of a budding neighborhood on Whitemarsh Island. She was an inquisitive child with an inherent love of nature, music, art and being social with family and friends. 

After eight years as an only child, Betsy was reportedly thrilled about the addition of her one sibling, Caroline, and scooped her up with audacious confidence immediately upon her arrival from the hospital. She took her job as the older sister quite seriously.  She was a bold influence on Caroline and was determined to share her wisdom and observations on the more obscure details of life. She was fiercely dedicated to her sister, and this was fully reciprocated. The two had a most unique and unwavering bond throughout their lives together. 

Betsy attended The Savannah Country Day School where she excelled in academics and also made a name for herself in the school’s Fine Arts scene. She starred in numerous theatrical productions, most notably as Bunny Flingus in “The House of Blue Leaves.” She performed with the modern dance troupe, sang alongside the jazz band, produced remarkable artwork, and wrote for Amanuensis, the high school literary publication.  She was named “Most Unpredictable” in the Senior Superlatives for the class of 1988. Reflecting back on her life, it is clear that she was aptly assessed.  Her never-ending compendium of anecdotes of daring adventures, elaborately themed soirees, and questionable living arrangements were irrefutable evidence of that.

After high school, Betsy matriculated at The University of Virginia, where she continued her interests in the humanities and the arts.   She remained active in music as the female vocalist in a popular college band and volunteered in the community for multiple causes.  During her time in Charlottesville, she assembled an eclectic group of lifelong friends. In 1992, she graduated Magna Cum Laude earning B.A. degrees in both English and Anthropology. 

Following her time in Charlottesville, Betsy's desire for adventure led her to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she took the opportunity to enjoy a change of scenery with a dear lifelong friend. She worked for the Museum of New Mexico and spent her time absorbing the culture, making more friends, and exploring the region.  It was during this chapter that she became enamored with Hatch green chiles, and they were a fixture in her kitchen for years to come.

After two years sowing her wild oats, Betsy returned eastward to pursue her PhD in English at The University of Georgia. During her time as a Teaching Assistant, she quickly established herself as a dedicated mentor and a firm believer in holding her students to the same high standards that had been set forth by her earlier role models.  While in graduate school, she was inducted into the Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society, recognized with the UGA Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award, and achieved the UGA Dean’s Award for Graduate Student Research in the Arts and Humanities. Along with her academic and career achievements, Betsy’s Athens years were some of the most prolific with regard to connecting the threads of her expansive social and musical web. Athens also provided the opportunity for the two sisters to be reunited for a stretch and to create countless memories of epic parties, thrifting adventures, travel, concerts, and general togetherness.

After completing her PhD, Betsy accepted a teaching position at the University of Montevallo in 2007, published journal articles in her area of expertise, and achieved tenure status a few years later.  She loved being part of the small town community, and she thrived there.  She was strongly committed to enriching the lives of her students, colleagues, and friends and was active in the school and town communities. Most importantly, it was in Montevallo where she met and married her husband Rob Miller. They enjoyed life together in an old farm house and set off on numerous travel adventures. It was also during these years that she became a beloved Aunt.  Her niece and nephew in Savannah afforded Betsy yet another opportunity to share her curiosity and sense of whimsy through thoughtful gifts, lessons and explorations of nature.

A lover of literature and language, Betsy developed an affinity for 20th century Irish authors. She was particularly enamored with Elizabeth Bowen and the author’s use of animism to give unique perspectives in her works. She was also fascinated with James Joyce’s Ulysses and delighted in his ruminative and intricate accounts of the ordinary and mundane.  These were meaningful influences for Betsy.  In her own life she found joy in the details of things and in sharing her unique perspectives and thoughts with others.  Perhaps this explains her talent for making exciting experiences out of otherwise boring tasks.

From the very beginning, music was an integral part of Betsy’s life. Although she never had a chance to know them, both of her grandfathers were talented amateur musicians, and a love of music was pervasive in the family tree. Betsy’s father taught her to play guitar,  and she never passed up an opportunity to sing, particularly if it involved a morbid tale, a little-known vintage tune from her Victrola-era collection, or a humorous made-up number on the spot.  Betsy was intent on passing along the family tradition to her sister, and she did so through exposure to musical delights across genres while zipping to and from school in her mahogany-hued,1976 Chevy Nova “Powerhouse.”  Later, she helped her sister learn to play guitar and encouraged her to sing with confidence.  Growing up, there was rarely a time without music playing at least somewhere in the background, and holiday gatherings often culminated with a full, extended-family sing-along of folk ballads.  

Betsy continued to write, sing, and perform throughout her life.  Music provided her with an avenue for engaging social interaction and the opportunity to create with others.  Even well into her Alzheimer’s days, she found joy in singing with her sister and friends, and working on a special collaborative project called Social People was a highlight.  Music was a comfort that helped her cope with her disease, and it also served as an outlet that allowed her to connect and share her story to raise Alzheimer’s awareness.

Betsy was an unparalleled finder of quirky things, and she cherished the exquisite details in this world that might otherwise be overlooked or forgotten. She will be remembered for her robust exuberance, zest for life, disarming charm, quick and sharp wit, infectious laugh, beautiful voice, insightful contributions, and expansive hospitality. 

She was predeceased by her father Samuel Powel Inglesby, Jr. and  grandparents Samuel Powel Inglesby, Edith Cain Inglesby Walker, John Chappell Summers, and Angela Willie Norton Summers Parrish. She is survived by her husband Robert E. Miller, III, her mother Gay Summers Inglesby, her sister Caroline Inglesby Stephens (Dean), her nephew Raiford and niece Eleanora Stephens, beloved aunts, uncles, and cousins, and countless friends near and far.

Betsy’s family wishes to thank all who have supported her over the last few years, particularly her friends and neighbors, The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn, and all of the many caregivers who helped her at home, at Auburn Assisted Living, and at Spanish Oaks Retreat and Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to one of the following:

The Alzheimer’s Association: Do What You Love To End ALZ

https://events.alz.org/event/dowhatyoulove/general-donation

Alabama Rivers Alliance:

https://alabamarivers.org

Southern Poverty Law Center:

https://www.splcenter.org

A celebration of life is planned for Fall 2026. Further details will be updated as they become available.

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Please also enjoy the following tribute written by Betsy’s husband, Rob Miller

“They broke the mold when they made that one.”

Betsy was born in Savannah, Georgia on the very first Earth Day, April 22nd, 1970.  She began her teaching career at the age of six under a magnolia tree in her grandmother’s yard, shortly after learning to read herself. She grew up in the woods, marshes, and beaches of Savannah and spent time during the summer in the mountains of Highlands, North Carolina. Betsy’s childhood was full of adventures herding fiddler crabs in the marsh, climbing too high in trees, and exploring the woods on her bicycle. She was nothing if not independent and adventurous, which originated from her untethered and free exploration near her Savannah home and up in Highlands during the summer.

At the age of eight, life gifted Betsy a sister, Caroline, that she adored and cared for very dearly throughout her life. Caroline and Betsy shaped each other’s lives: Betsy was there to help raise Caroline and Caroline was there to care for Betsy at the end. They were there for each other through all the good and bad times in between.

Betsy’s parents, Sam and Gay, raised their children with an enduring sense of social and communal responsibility and taught them to practice the art of caring for and tending to family and community. Sam and Gay believed strongly in fairness, integrity, and honesty, all ideals at the root of Betsy’s character. Her family is a musical one, and Sam raised his children on a steady diet of folk music and murder ballads. He taught both of his children to play the guitar and sing from an early age.  Betsy was a very independent, free-spirited woman, but the principles and practices that her parents taught her by example stayed with her throughout her life. They were central to who Betsy was. The love and patience Sam and Gay showed Betsy were her strength and comfort.

From kindergarten through twelfth grade, Betsy attended The Savannah Country Day School. She took lessons both in learning and teaching from excellent teachers such as Beulah Harper whom she respected and emulated in her own career. Betsy’s experiences at Country Day imprinted upon her the significance a good teacher has in people’s lives, and this solidified her determination to work hard to become a great teacher herself. Betsy also gained a love of learning from Country Day that she exercised throughout her life: she was always ready for new experiences and knowledge. Betsy always expressed deep gratitude for her educational experiences and prized them as one of the many blessings she was given in life.

Betsy attended the University of Virginia for her undergraduate degree in English. While at UVA, she also pursued her second passion: music. She played everything from open mic nights to live performances in The Rappahannock River Band. This defined Betsy’s college life as much as her classroom experiences. UVA suited Betsy well with its challenging standard of academic excellence and core principles rooted in integrity. True to the teachings of Sam and Gay, Betsy found family and community in Charlottesville in the form of a shared home created with her lifelong college friends and roommates: Caroline, Francesca, Karen, Krista, and Sasha. The bond that Betsy formed with these friends lasted her entire lifetime. Distance and time did not isolate them; her dear friends were always there for Betsy through all the wonderful and sometimes heartbreaking experiences of young adulthood.

That sense of adventure from her childhood also defined Betsy’s life as a young woman. No opportunity for adventure was ever turned down. Who has Betsy not regaled with many a colorful tale of canoeing the Rio Grande, crossing Death Valley in an ancient camper truck with no air conditioning, or living in an unfurnished attic in Berkeley for the summer. Betsy’s adventures were many and more astounding in each retelling - a true Southern storyteller.

After graduating from UVA, Betsy took a break from college to experience living in Santa Fe, New Mexico with her lifelong friend Eleanor. Being Betsy, she found another cadre of lifelong friends, including Jim Creeggan and Ken Joseph, while living out west. Betsy fell in love with the beautiful wilds of New Mexico and the artistic culture of Santa Fe and loved to revisit as often as possible.  Betsy would often remember her time in Santa Fe with the toast of, “Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto!”, a phrase from a song by Mercedes Sosa that she discovered in Santa Fe. “Thank you to life, that has given me so much.” Betsy left New Mexico with the scent of the pinion camp fire in her nostrils, green chile in her blood, and a two-step in her gait, and these she kept close to her heart always.

Betsy was awarded a full ride scholarship to the University of Georgia English Department in their Ph. D program. Betsy’s time at Georgia was very much her own personal Odyssey both in her studies of modernist literature, such as James Joyce, in her graduate teaching experiences, and in her personal and musical life in Athens that had its own trials and tribulations. Betsy’s professional experiences at the University of Georgia were challenging for circumstances beyond her control, and she was forever thankful to her teacher and PhD Advisor, Dr. Adam Parkes, who saved Betsy’s dream of becoming a professor by being her mentor and lighthouse in a time of need.  

Music was also central to Betsy’s life in Athens, and she played in many bands, such as Calliope Fair, and with her cousin and musical soul mate, Dodd Ferrelle. Betsy was fearless when it came to singing and performing, whether it was playing open mic night at The Bluebird Café in Nashville with Cousin Dodd or singing on stage with any of her musical heroes, of which there were many in the rich music culture in Athens.  

For many Athens years, Betsy lived in a home appropriately named “The Barn” – because it was a barely repurposed barn. Betsy fell in love with the home from the day she moved in—her father declared the dwelling structurally unsound and her mother declared it unfit for human occupation. The Barn was both a central character and apparently a cultural center of Athens while Betsy cohabitated this dwelling with the possums and rat snakes, as it afforded her independence and space for many a pickin’ party.

Betsy met many-a-character in Athens. Perhaps it was the company of musicians, maybe it was Betsy’s nature. In her youth she never met an argument that wasn’t worth having or a ne’er-do-well that was not worth saving. Betsy had a very big, fierce, and stubborn heart, and she feared no man nor challenge. Betsy lived life to the fullest and had a willingness to take the heartbreaks and hardships with the good. Betsy never met the right man in Athens, and it broke her heart more than once, but she often turned that heartache into music. For everyone who ever broke Betsy’s heart, y’all each got your own song; you know who you are.   

Betsy’s Athens years were so rich and full that it could be considered an entire lifetime nested within her longer lifetime. Athens came with yet another core of lifelong friends: Rachel, Jane, Katie, Sarah, Forrest, and so many others: thank you so much for being there for Betsy to help her not only survive and navigate Athens but celebrate life through those tough years! We must also remember Betsy’s “second parents,” Gay and Pete McCommons, who were always there for Betsy with an ear to listen, human and electronic, love, and shelter.

We, her family and friends, would also like to thank the McCulloch Eager Beaver chainsaw company for their reliable product that allowed Betsy to stock ample firewood, keeping her from freezing to death living in an uninsulated Barn. Also, we are thankful for the Eager Beaver’s easy pull start that makes it an acceptable self-defense weapon in a pinch. Thank you to the Normal Hardware store for patiently teaching Betsy the many, many repair lessons needed to keep the barn from falling down around her ears while she was living in it. Finally, thank you Volvo, for making the S70 sedan: A car that will continue to run past the point where the odometer gives up, providing poor graduate students a reliable mode of transportation, perhaps not air conditioned, nor smooth in operation, but reliable beyond all rational concepts of “high mileage” vehicle.

Betsy, like Ulysses, finally finished her voyage after ten years of graduate school at UGA. She graduated with a hard-earned doctorate in English specializing in Modernism. Betsy took a position as an Associate Professor of English at the University of Montevallo in Alabama immediately after graduation. It is worth noting how monumental it is that Betsy accomplished and lived her dream of becoming a professor. It took decades of effort along a path with no financial reward and often with little understanding from others as to why she would want to endure such a struggle for a position that affords no riches, little fame, and provides a life that often feels singularly of hard toil with meager thanks or acknowledgment. Betsy had courage and the will to do what she loved and to live the life she wanted—under the conditions she did this makes that act remarkable.

Dr. Elizabeth Inglesby was both loved and feared as an English Professor at the University of Montevallo.  The literature to which Betsy devoted herself was from the era of the post-industrial revolution and the World Wars of the early 20th century. This is a literature born of violence, death, loss, scientific upheaval, and disillusionment—works with titles such as The Waste Land and The Sound and the Fury for example. Not exactly sunshine and happiness. She taught her subject with love, enthusiasm, and vigor. Dr. Inglesby’s enthusiasm combined with her high standards and the challenging nature of the material elicited varied opinions of both Betsy and her beloved Modernist literature: students either loved or hated her classes. However, she cared for all her students, even the difficult ones, and did her utmost to teach for them all. Perhaps the greatest reward for Betsy was the gratitude and respect she received from former students. Frequently Betsy’s former students would seek her out or would recognize her in passing and thank her for being a great teacher.

I, Betsy’s future husband at the time, met her four years after she moved to Montevallo, and I was always impressed with the wealth of company she kept: wealth in the sense of the number and variety of people that filled Betsy’s life. Betsy’s wide group of friends in Montevallo were a motley crew of sorts, cut of sometimes rough and eclectic cloth. They were a collection of unique individuals most steadfastly focused on their own doings: professors of many pedigrees, artists, writers, musicians, scientists, engineers, restauranteurs, entrepreneurs, lawyers, among others, all thrown together into a strange southern stew in the little post-industrial college town of Montevallo. Montevallo was just right for Betsy. The opportunity to prove herself as a professor finally allowed her to gain that mature confidence we seek in adulthood that lets us know we have succeeded, that we have found the right path to follow to be the person we were meant to become.

Her colleagues and friends at Montevallo—Steve Forrester, Stephanie Batkie, Cheryl and Michael Patton, Colin and Sharon Williams, Susan Martin, Alex Berringer, and Hollie Cost among so many others—supported and shepherded Betsy through her years at Montevallo. It would be difficult to name all the people from the Montevallo years whose friendship enriched Betsy’s life. Betsy didn’t get to stay with Montevallo as long as she wanted, but she did make a lot of people’s lives better while she was here.

I met her later in both of our lives, when she was 40 and I was 38.  Betsy, for me, will always be that amazing woman with luxurious dark hair who first walked into my life in that little black dress with shoulders back, head held high, and an imperious gaze that dared me to meet her expectations. We fell in love through discussions about quantum physics, James Joyce, and long tellings of both our adventures. There are probably few people whose girlfriend calls them for a romantic evening discussion which starts off with: “can you explain to me how a neutron bomb works, I need to know to prepare for my class lecture tomorrow?” However, such conversations sustained our early long-distance relationship until she inevitably pulled me into her orbit, and I moved to Montevallo.

Betsy and I did not so much purchase a home together as much as we purchased a lifelong project together: a lovely home, age at least 115 years, idyllically situated along beautiful shoal creek in Montevallo. Our home is a treasure trove of all our wonderful memories together and has been my labor of love for Betsy. So many memories are contained in this home, from asking her to marry me, to all the wonderful gatherings with our family and friends, including our wedding, and the sad memories such as when we found out that Betsy had Alzheimer’s. Yet another entire lifetime in and of itself lived in just ten short years.

Betsy was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s when she was just 50 years old. Many people would focus on the unfairness of that, and they wouldn’t be wrong.  Betsy did fear losing herself, but it did not prevent her from continuing to live her life. In her last five years, her family and friends all mustered to help Betsy continue to live life to its fullest.  Even as the Alzheimer’s advanced, Betsy and I continued to travel with amazing trips to New Mexico, Chicago, Paris and more. We still went on adventures, kayaking the Sipsey, and glamping in our teardrop camper. 

Caroline found the songs Betsy wrote about all those ne’er-do-wells Betsy knew in Athens, and with the help of Betsy’s friend Jim Creeggan and cousin Dodd Ferrelle, put those songs to music. Then they did yeoman’s work setting up opportunities for Betsy to perform those songs with them in live shows to benefit Alzheimer’s awareness. These opportunities to sing live and to spend time rehearsing and being with the people she loved were precious. To still be a contributing, vibrant member of her tribe and community carried Betsy through her time with Alzheimer’s. 

I could close with words about how Betsy’s Alzheimer’s progressed over five years after she was diagnosed. I could say something about how she died, but none of that matters. All the lives which Betsy was lovingly and joyously a part of, that is what matters.  All of the adventures and experiences, a life lived with vivacity, wonder, creativity, joy, sadness, heartbreak, friendship, and love: that is Betsy.