Bewdley community say goodbye to talented artist and poet

Elizabeth ‘Betti’ Moretti was a much-loved singer, actor, artist and illustrator who died aged 53 on September 30 from lung cancer.

Her funeral service was held at Wyre Forest Crematorium on Thursday, October 26 at 10.30am with many friends and family coming to say a final farewell.

Born in St Albans, Elizabeth moved to Clent aged three and later to Belbroughton. She attended Hagley Primary School and Haybridge before studying at Bourneville Art College and Manchester University.

The talented artist made animals for city and town trails and raised thousands for charity (Image: Betti Moretti)

Her love of the arts led to a career in film starting out alongside Richard Patching in Hagley. The experience took her all the way to Taiwan to help make a film about the apprentice of the year. This was followed by working on children’s programmes like Scratchy and Co before working as a production assistant at Pebble Mill Studios.

Her mum, Marie Moretti, said: “It was there that she met many celebrities adding glamour to her life. There are even stories she liked to tell about meeting Paul O’Grady and Eddie Izzard.

“She also signed up as an extra and got to work on a film for Carl Timms in Bewdley where Alison Steadman and James Cosmo had starring roles.”  

The family draped her coffin in her artwork (Image: Marie Moretti)

Beyond her film work, the mum-of-one was also a pillar of the community in Bewdley which she called home. She moved to the town with her beloved partner, Simon, who she met at middle school aged nine, and her daughter Coco who she said was her “greatest ever achievement”. 

Elizabeth loved getting involved in community events and art projects from the Bewdley festival to crocheting a coat for a hugging tree at Bewdley Museum. She also made animals including a bear for the Wild in Art town and city trails and an NHS statue to raise thousands of pounds for charity.

She also formed an ABBA tribute band with two of her close friends, enjoyed making music with her partner Simon and going on holidays to Greece and Morocco.

Her mum described her as a 'hippie at heart' with her greatest achievement being her daughter Coco (Image: Marie Moretti)

Elizabeth was also a talented poet writing poems including “A Genius Waiting to Happen” and in 2019, she became poet laureate of Worcestershire.

Her mum, Marie, added: “My daughter was a hippie at heart and we reflected that in the service by having no hymns and draping her coffin in her colourful artwork.

“It was all about the sun, the sand and the sea and even when she became ill, doctors were amazed at her stamina. It has been really tough, but I am so proud of my brilliantly talented girl and all she’s achieved.

“By far her greatest creation is her daughter Coco, who she loved very much, and she is set to follow in her mother’s footsteps by going to Swansea University to do film studies. She was so proud of her and her memory will live on.”