Bruce Neil Betsold

Bruce Neil Betsold, of Southampton, passed away on May 27, 2026, in Lee, MA. Bruce was born on July 4, 1949 to Peter and Anna (Vaznis) Betsold in Hatfield, MA. He was the oldest of three brothers- Ronald Betsold, who passed in 2006, and Alan Betsold, of Hatfield. 

Bruce is survived by his wife Aileen (Doyle) Betsold of Southampton, his son Jeremy Betsold of Woonsocket, RI, his daughter and son-in-law Kerry and Thomas Neenan and beloved granddaughter Maeve, of Salem, MA. 

Bruce graduated high school from Smith Academy and took post-high courses at Smith Vocational. After some time working with steel building structures, his wife reminded him that walking on 6-inch beams high in the air, while exhilarating for him, was not a responsible career choice once he had children. So, he became a career machinist working at local shops over the years until he retired in 2017. 

Bruce was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping, and gardening. He also enjoyed woodworking, often building furniture, cutting boards, clocks, and more for his home, family, and friends. 

He was the family car mechanic, always tinkering with cars and checking the tire pressure on the cars of his kids and their friends whenever they stopped by. In his younger years he loved fast cars (including a Chevy SS Chevelle and a Plymouth Barracuda), snowmobiling, and riding dirt bikes. 

Bruce was a hunter and marksman. He was a vocal proponent of responsible gun use and safety and was a member of Holyoke Revolver Club where he practiced target shooting and taught gun safety classes. 

His lifelong love was fishing, particularly fly fishing. He would often wake up before dawn on weekends to go fishing on the Swift River. And he enjoyed annual trips to Salmon River in New York with friends. He was an active member of the conservation group Trout Unlimited for many years where he helped advocate and care for local rivers and streams and the trout populations. He had an extensive fly tying workshop at home and often shared his talents for fly tying with members of the Trout Unlimited group and other friends. 

Before his passing, Bruce spent about a year at Holyoke Medical Center. The family would like to extend their appreciation to the nurses, doctors, and other staff for the excellent, compassionate care he received in the Elder Adult S1 Unit there. 

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking people to make a donation to the Pioneer Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited in Bruce’s name. Donations can be made online at: https://go.tulocalevents.org/pioneervalley or checks made out to Trout Unlimited can be mailed to 3 Knights Street Belchertown, MA 01007-9575.

Calling hours will be on Saturday June 6th from 12 - 2pm at Mitchell Funeral Home in Easthampton, MA.

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