Betsaida Alcantara

December 27th, 1983 - February 18th, 2022

Memorial

Mementos

Betsaida Alcantara, a committed public servant who worked tirelessly to bring change to political institutions and advocate for justice, passed away on Feb. 18th due to a rare ovarian cancer. She was 38. A beloved daughter, sister, wife, mentor and friend, Betsaida brought joy everywhere she traveled through her kindness, beautiful voice, and seemingly endless capacity to care for others. Her dedication to public service is clear in her rapid ascent to the highest levels of government. After securing a coveted spot as a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Public Policy Fellow, she joined Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign as deputy press secretary in Florida. During Obama's presidency, she moved quickly through various high-level governmental positions, including press secretary for Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, communications director at the General Services Administration, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department for Housing and Urban Development, and Director of Media Planning and Deputy Communications Director for the Clinton-Kaine campaign. After the 2016 election, she proudly served at the Anti-Defamation League, where she combated bigotry and hate crimes. Betsaida-who was born in the Dominican Republic and later moved with her family to Goshen, N.Y.-showed an early commitment to progressive causes and an instinct for how to move the levers of power for disenfranchised groups. As a teenager she was deeply involved in advocating for migrant labor rights in her adopted rural home, working closely with the Rural and Migrant Ministry (RMM), which advocates for just conditions for rural workers. She founded the group's Youth Arts Group, participated in the Justice for Farmworkers Campaign (which was led by her father, Aspacio Alcantara), and contributed to state legislation that served as a precursor to the DREAM Act. She received a full scholarship to Bard College, where she helped to found the Bard Migrant Labor Project. In 2019, Betsaida returned to the Hudson Valley to continue supporting the causes she loved and pursuing her other passions, including making music-she was a talented singer who had performed with Pete Seeger and George Clinton, among others-and enjoying the natural world. This allowed her more time with her husband, Zac Decker, and her family, to whom she was extremely devoted. She brought the same determination and joy to her family and community that she did to the larger world throughout her career. As a devoted mentor, she stayed in close contact with countless young people who looked to her for wisdom and guidance, as well as many lifelong friends who visited her beautiful home in Copake, NY, where she gardened and nurtured the local landscape alongside her beloved husband of more than a decade. She passed away surrounded by loved ones. Betsaida is survived by her parents Carmen Ayala and Aspacio Alcantara, her sister Yeni, her brother Abi, and her husband Zac. While she leaves behind a political and medical system that remains flawed, she never wavered in her belief that change for the better was possible. She advocated for herself and for other women diagnosed with diseases that require more attention and funding. You can contribute to her memorial services and express condolences here and donate blood in her honor at your local blood bank.

Events

PAST EVENT

Memorial Service and Reception

May 7th, 2022

16:00 - 19:00

(GMT-4:00) Eastern Time (US and Canada)

The Grail

119 Duncan Ave, Cornwall, NY 12520, USA

Tributes

Share a favourite memory, send condolences, and honour Betsaida’s life with a heartfelt message.

L J

My condolences for the loss of your loved one. The hurt and pain of losing a loved one is difficult. Please know that God is near to those that are broken-hearted and who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 God will wipe away all tears from their eyes and death will be no more. Revelation 21:4

Published December 1st, 2022

Laura Diamond

🧡

Published April 27th, 2022

Jade Mooc

I don't know how my experience will dovetail with others who are writing on here. Some of this stuff will be unique but doubtless much of it will resonate. My wife and I know Betsaida from afar, geographically speaking. As such the times Jade and I spent with her were always too short and too far removed from the last time and until the next time. There's no need to describe the minutiae of what we did, or saw or talked about together, that's all just details. Where our experience will overlap with everyone who is here is that the times we spent with Betsaida and Zac were truly a gift. We cherish the memories that we were fortunate enough to build with B and will carry them forward. This is true not in that loose, mild, non-committal way that such things are so often said. I mean it solidly, tangibly, really. Recently, in trying to write these things down, Jade and I have had numerous conversations about those different experiences, places and times that we shared with Betsaida. These have invariably been conversations punctuated by smiles, laughter and warmth as much as by shock and grief. My memories of Betsaida are of a fierce girl, emanating bravery and kindness that came from her very soul. Everything about B seemed so utterly genuine, nothing forced, just flowing always... At her passing we feel overcome and worn through with heaving, wringing shock and sadness. This grief is transient yet permanent too. I spoke with Zac who reminded us of the privilege we had experienced through knowing her. He was of course right, yet the sadness remains. I think it's a sadness and longing for what we never managed to do. Trips we talked about, vacations that remain un-taken, meals un-eaten. And a lot of this is centred around the fact that my young son never got to meet this amazing person who I keep on talking about. And that, I guess is that way that she will carry on in our home. In the conversations I have with my boy about Betsaida she will never be ‘our friend who got sick' rather she will always remain ‘our wonderful friend Betsaida who is amazing and funny and caring and loving and she sings so well and she laughs so much'. Rest peacefully our beautiful friend. Our thoughts and love, of course are with those who loved her, that is, to everyone here. May we all be thankful for those wonderful times we all spent with such a beautiful person. Daniel and Jade Evans

Published April 12th, 2022

Jessica Battle

Betsaida was such a beautiful person. I was blessed to have been able to spend time with her and Zack over meals, hang outs, and game nights in Washington, DC. She brought the vocals to karaoke nights...and shut it down! And, I can thank B and Zack for introducing me to I.P.A's. I got to know Betsaida in social settings. Yet even in casual social settings, I was struck by her presence. She radiated a balance of laid-back ease with a depth of strength and wisdom beyond her years. I send my deepest condolences to the family, Zack, and all of the many people whose lives she touched.

Published May 16th, 2022