Betsy Bloomingdale, American socialite, Died at 93

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Betsy Bloomingdale was born on August 2, 1922, and died on July 20, 2016.

She was an American socialite and philanthropist.

Besty was the widow of businessman Alfred S. Bloomingdale, heir to the department store chain.

Bloomingdale has appeared on the International Best Dressed List since 1970.

Frequently a party host, mainly for charity, for which she has been dubbed “Good Queen Betts”.

Besty’s life and marriage and her husband’s well-publicized affair were the basis of Dominick Dunne’s novel An Inconvenient Woman.

She remained friendly with Dunne, appearing with him at the annual Vanity Fair Oscar Party in 2006.

During 2009, she was the subject of an exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.

The piece, called “High Style: Betsy Bloomingdale and the Haute Couture”, displayed 60 Haute Couture gowns that she had collected since the 1960s.

Besty was the daughter of Vera (née Browner) and Dr. Russell Lee Newling, both born in Australia.

Betsy Bloomingdale passed away at 93 years old.