Elizabeth Statler Wusich Stofft

Well-known artist, philanthropist and Arizona native “Bette” Stofft passed away Jan. 18, 2011. She was born Aug. 15, 1917, in Cochise County, Ariz., and lived all of her life in Arizona.

Bette grew up in Glendale and attended Glendale High School, Woodbury Business School, Cox Business School and Arizona State University. Early in life, she had a career in trust work at Valley National Bank, where she met Nicholas Wusich, her first husband.

She eventually became an insurance underwriter and real estate broker, being a principal of the Statler Real Estate and Insurance Offices in Glendale. She and Nick subsequently became active in farming, growing cotton and wheat in El Mirage as well as operating the Lazy YU cattle ranch in Kingman. Bette and Nick had one daughter, Barbara Wusich Young (W. Charles Young), Paradise Valley, Ariz.

After Nick’s death in 1988, Bette married Fred Stofft, a three-star army general, and they had eight years together until his death in 1996.

Bette was an accomplished artist for more than 50 years, traveling the world, capturing its beauty on paper and canvas. Her work is owned by a wide variety of institutions as well as individuals throughout the United States and Mexico. All of her paintings are signed “Wusich.”

Bette’s membership in art organizations included the Arizona Artists Guild, Arizona Water Color Society, Scottsdale Artists’ School, Charter Member Women in the Arts, Southern Arizona Artists Association, American Water Color Society and Grand Central Art Galleries, New York.

Over the years, Bette belonged to many civic and social organizations, including Paradise Valley Country Club, White Mountain Country Club, Arizona Country Club, Valley Field Riding and Polo Club, Phoenix Art Museum, Western Art Associates, Desert Botanical Garden, First Families of Arizona, Arizona Historical Foundation, Arizona Commission on Arts, Yarnell Historical Society, The University of Arizona Foundation and Valley Presbyterian Church.