Betty Segal

Betty Segal—healer, artist, activist and decadeslong volunteer at the Charlotte Maxwell Clinic— died at home in Berkeley, California on April 14, 2021. She was 75. Her gentle spirit, wry wit and tenacity will be deeply missed by her family, friends and community.

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Betty went to Walnut Hills High School, then moved to California to attend Occidental College in Los Angeles. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree, she earned her MFA from UCLA Film School. She then settled permanently in California, first in Oakland and then Berkeley.

In her 20s and 30s, Betty was a photographer and documentary filmmaker. She then broadened her focus, training in Swedish massage and craniosacral therapy. She later became certified in lymphedema massage, which reduces the pain of inflammation that can be caused by damage to lymph nodes, often during cancer treatment. She provided lymphedema treatment for years and also established a public program in lymphedema prevention and treatment that was one of the first of its kind and presented annually in three languages.

Betty volunteered for more than two decades at the Charlotte Maxwell Clinic in Oakland, which provides free integrative care for lowincome women with cancer. She began as a massage therapist, then helped the clinic establish its in-home care service, which was similar to hospice work, and provided lymphedema treatment.

Betty forged connections with people from all walks of life and she was devoted to her friends and family, who cherished her. Her passions included cinema, Ikebana, supporting Bay Area artists, and the annual SOMArts Cultural Center’s Día de Los Muertos celebration.

In her later years, Betty bravely faced her own cancer, sharing her experiences to help others. She was a gentle and intrepid warrior.

Betty is survived by her sisters and their partners, Elle Segal and Grahame McKenzie and Ann Segal and Jerry Malsh; by her cousin and her partner, Karin Segal and Paul Sanders; by her niece and nephews and their partners, Lisa Glazer and Michael Pekowsky; Michael Glazer; Joe Glazer and Hamidah Basar; and her great-nieces and great-nephews Sophia and Caleb Pekowsky and Bebe and Cisco Glazer.

Donations may be sent to the Charlotte Maxwell Clinic or SOMArts Cultural Center. A memorial will be announced at a later date.