Elizabeth Roosevelt, relative of President Teddy Roosevelt, dies at 93

The last of the Oyster Bay Roosevelts, a family branch of 26th U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, Elizabeth Roosevelt was formidable — the word friends and relatives most often use to describe her.

An artist, photographer, educator, sailor, equestrian and more, “She was gruff,” said a cousin, Tweed Roosevelt, chairman of the Roosevelt School at Long Island University. “Nobody would describe her as warm and fuzzy. But underneath, she had a very caring and good heart.”

“I met her in 1993, when the Oyster Bay Historical Society was my fiscal sponsor to do cultural and historical children's storytelling programs throughout Long Island,” said Denice Evans-Sheppard, now that organization’s executive director. “She was on the board that gave me permission. I was a new, struggling artist, with a full-time job working for Nassau County. And she was able to collaborate with the board to say, ‘Why not give her a chance?’ ”

Continuing with the society into her 90s as volunteer manager of its gift shop in the Earle-Wightman House, Elizabeth Roosevelt as recently as August lectured on local and family history in a two-hour cruise the group sponsored. “She was phenomenal,” Evans-Sheppard said. “The whole trip was sold out.”

Roosevelt died Nov. 29 of natural causes at her home in Oyster Bay’s Village of Cove Neck, at age 93. Her paternal grandfather, William Emlen Roosevelt, was a first cousin of Teddy Roosevelt, who served as U.S. president from 1901 to 1909.

“She was a very big player in the family,” Tweed Roosevelt said. “She was always, when she could be, at [family] events. I often sat next to her when I would come down here for them” from his primary residence in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

Elizabeth Emlen Roosevelt was the second-youngest of four children of John Kean Roosevelt — a stockbroker and International Telephone and Telegraph executive — and Elise Annette Weinacht Roosevelt. Born Jan. 2, 1931, in New York City, she was raised there and at the family’s summer home in Cove Neck. She attended The Chapin School in Manhattan and the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women, now part of Philadelphia’s Temple University.

After spending four years managing her father’s Florida cattle ranch, she became what the family called the lone flight attendant for a small Alaskan airline that flew to the Aleutian Islands. Returning to school, she earned a degree in arts and humanities from the University of Denver, in Colorado, in 1962, and embarked on her teaching career, beginning with Syosset High School.

After four years there, she spent a year in Hastings, New Zealand, then returned to teach history and social studies from 1968 to 1995 at Friends Academy in Locust Valley. She earned a master’s degree in history in 1975 from what is now LIU Post, in Brookville. Upon retiring, she continued to teach part time at Friends, where the Elizabeth Roosevelt History Award was established in 1999.

A lifelong sailor, she joined the junior division of Centre Island’s Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club in 1946. By 1954, she was an instructor there, and later became a crew member of 18 women’s championships — winning numerous trophies, including four Benzie Cups. She was a U.S. Sailing judge for 12 years.

“Her real love was the outdoors, particularly sailing,” Tweed Roosevelt said. “She was a competitive sailor until she gave it up at 89.”

With John Hammond, Elizabeth wrote the 2019 Arcadia Publishing book “Cove Neck: Oyster Bay's Historic Enclave.” Her art and photography have been exhibited at venues including the Theodore Roosevelt Association in Oyster Bay and the Oyster Bay Historical Society. Additionally, she was involved with the No Surrender Breast Cancer Foundation, of Locust Valley.

“She was an extraordinary lady,” said her cousin. “She had an extraordinary life.” 

Never married, Elizabeth Roosevelt was briefly survived by her last remaining sibling, brother Peter K. Roosevelt of Colorado, who died four days later. She leaves 15 nieces and nephews and many great-nieces and nephews.

She was interred Dec. 4 at Youngs Memorial Cemetery, in the Village of Oyster Bay Cove, where Theodore Roosevelt and other family members have been laid to rest.