Obituary of Elizabeth Jane Tamburri

Elizabeth “Betty” Jane Tamburri passed away peacefully at home on April 16, 2026. She was born October 8, 1937 in Hastings, PA to John and Elizabeth Kolonay.  She was raised in a loving home on a coal miner’s salary in Hastings, along with her 11 siblings. Betty attended Hastings-Elder High School and later held a secretarial position at Flick State Hospital in Cresson, PA. It was here in 1958 where she met her future husband, Ernest Tamburri, who was completing a two-year graduate program in Rehabilitation Counseling from Penn State University.

After a short engagement, they were married at St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic Church in her hometown on January 16, 1960 – the local newspaper reported “a pretty winter wedding” in which the choir sang the nuptial mass, the organist accompanied the soloist to “Ave Maria,” who later sang “On This Day, O Beautiful Mother” while the bride placed a bouquet of snapdragons at the base of the Blessed Mother. After the celebration, they drove the backroads of the Eastern Seaboard down to Florida for their honeymoon.

Betty and Ernie resided in Greensburg, Ebensburg, and Windber, PA before moving to Boonton, NJ after Ernest accepted a teaching position at Seton Hall University. They raised 4 children in a tight knit neighborhood on Roosevelt Avenue in the days when kids played outside ‘til dark and summer block parties were held annually.

Betty worked as an Administrative secretary with the Boonton Board of Education Child Study Team from the early ‘80’s until her retirement in 1997. She was a devoted wife and mother and fastidious homemaker. Known for her cooking and baking, she would freely give her famous brownies as a token of appreciation or just to cheer someone up. She treasured visits back home to see her family members, but also loved vacation days at Long Beach Island. She even surprised her family by finally getting her driver’s license at the age of 50!

Upon her retirement, Betty and Ernie became active members of the Boontonites Seniors Club, where they met many friends and travelled extensively to Europe and around the US. She also volunteered for many years at the Thrift Shop of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church. She dearly loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren who knew her as Grandma and Gigi.

Betty is predeceased by her parents, 10 of her brothers and sisters, her husband, Ernest, and her daughter, Maria Callahan. She is survived by her brother, George Kolonay, her children, Vincent Tamburri, Stephanie Langan (John), and Paul Tamburri (Grace), her nine grandchildren Jessica Meyer (Devin), Zachary Callahan (Megan), Joshua Callahan (Angelica); Amelia, Abigail, and Jack Langan; and Isabelle, Brenna, and Andrew Tamburri; and her five great-grandchildren, Eleanor and Emily Meyer, Magdalene and Lucy Callahan, and Jude Callahan. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Saint Benedict Abbey: https://abbey.org/support-us/