Betty Vasiliki Svolos Balevic
Betty Vasiliki Svolos Balevic, associate professor of management and business emerita, who mentored Skidmore students with great dedication and care for more than four decades, died Jan. 31, 2021, of Alzheimer’s Disease. She was 90.
Betty joined the Skidmore faculty in 1969. She served as department chair and on numerous College committees before retiring in December 2010.
“Betty exemplified the Skidmore teacher. Her dedication to her students was legendary, and she provided bountiful opportunities and possibilities for them during their time at Skidmore and after their graduation,” said College President Marc C. Conner. “Still today, former students speak movingly about her impact on their lives and her commitment to them.”
Trustee Kim Roy Tofalli ’80 described her as an inspiration and role model, recalling the numerous opportunities she organized for students with alumni, including trips to New York City.
“Betty beamed with pride during these sessions as she saw former students now in leadership positions and current students eager for opportunity. She brought the workplace into the classroom seamlessly. This obviously took much effort, but she appeared to do it all effortlessly,” Tofalli said. “Betty created countless internships and career placements. It all stemmed from her commitment to not only teaching in the classroom but caring for her students long after they moved into adult life.”
At Skidmore, Betty taught a variety of courses on marketing, business strategy, nonprofit management, international marketing and retail management. A classroom in Palamountain Hall honors her memory.
For two decades, Betty also contributed to Skidmore’s former University Without Walls program and considered the two decades she spent teaching inmates at the maximum-security prison in Comstock among her most rewarding teaching experiences.
Born in Amsterdam, New York, to Greek immigrants Marika and Thomas Svolos, Betty graduated from Syracuse University and worked in retail management at Montgomery Ward. After earning a master’s degree in business education from the State University at Albany, she taught at Albany Business College, Empire State College and Saint Rose Graduate School of Management before coming to Skidmore.
In 1958, Betty married John Balevic, who predeceased her. Betty’s family includes her three children, Christine Brown (Rick) of Fairfield, Connecticut, Trudy Bell (Gordon) of Greenville, South Carolina, and David Balevic (Jennifer) of Houston, Texas; her stepson, John Balevic (Deborah) of Tucson, Arizona; her nine grandchildren, Alex, Abbie, Lydia, Jamie, Esther, Katie, Amelia, Emma and Audrey; her brother, Marinos Svolos (Sebbie) of Baltimore, Maryland; and two nephews, Tom (Carol) and Mark Svolos. In addition to her ex-husband, John, she was predeceased by her stepdaughter, Mary Beth Soucisse.
A private funeral service was to be held at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Schenectady with interment at Fairview Cemetery in Amsterdam.