Bette Dewing

Bette Dewing began her long career as a writer while still a student in Minnesota, publishing poems in Edison High School’s Gleam magazine. After graduation, Ms. Dewing sang part-time with a seven-piece orchestra and eventually moved to New York. 

While singing was her first love, in New York, Ms. Dewing returned to writing. Her involvement in the women’s movement led to writing in two grassroots publications, New Direction for Women and Prime Time. In 1977, she landed a column in the Our Town weekly newspaper in which she continues to write today.

Ms. Dewing writes about a variety of New York City issues and is especially known for her traffic safety activism. In her columns, she has also called for a return to extended family life whenever possible, recalling the invaluable help of her mother-in-law. Ms. Dewing advocates for neighbors to become more neighborly, not only because the population is aging, but also to encourage children and younger generations to be responsible to the elders in their lives.

In addition, Ms. Dewing wrote a column for several years for the Manhattan Cooperator Monthly. A long-time rent-controlled tenant, she served as a four-term board member of her co-op home after her building converted.

Ms. Dewing also served as chair of the Older Women’s Media Committee, and produced a program to raise the consciousness for the Older Women’s League. Her concern in much of her work has been that elderly people, especially the “old old” and homebound, are left out of society’s mainstream even in their own apartment houses and neighborhoods. She is now pushing for the “elder orphans” movement to become a worldwide force whose purpose is to assist those who do not have children to help them in old age. Ms. Dewing believes people must learn to help one another much more than they do and, along with learning communication skills, learn basic home health care skills.

Ms. Dewing is the proud mother of two sons.