Netta Engel Tudhope
Netta Engel Tudhope, lovingly referred to as “Billie” by friends and family and “Grandma Booie” by her grandchildren, passed away peacefully on March 5, 2021. Billie was born on March 23, 1932, to William Engel and Netta Engel. She grew up in East Williston in Long Island, N.Y., where she graduated from Roslyn High School. Billie earned her nickname from her tomboy style — her mother struggled to get her inside for piano lessons because she was busy playing baseball.
Billie’s family vacationed during summers in North Hero, Vt., where she met Doug Tudhope at the Town Hall Dance. She later studied dental hygiene at the University of Vermont before marrying Doug in 1951. They then moved to Richford for nine years, where Doug had his first teaching job. At only 19, Billie coached the cheerleaders of the school and updated their uniforms with a design based on her own high school uniform.