Betty Newman, 89, Impressario and Real Estate Broker – The Provincetown Independent
Betty Newman died at her home in Provincetown on Aug. 6, 2021. She was 89. Her death was confirmed by her longtime partner and wife, Phoebe Otis, who did not specify a cause.
She was born Minerva Betty Newman on Coney Island in Brooklyn, N.Y., and after high school moved to Manhattan where she held a series of secretarial jobs before landing a position at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
She bought a brownstone back in Brooklyn, which gave her room to bring home some of the dogs, cats, and birds in need of care that she encountered at work. There was a picture window on the first floor where the dogs would sit, waiting for her to come home. Animals remained important to her throughout her life.
During those years, Betty began to spend summers in Provincetown. She met Phyllis Schlosberg, who suggested she move to Provincetown. The two worked together in the restaurant and entertainment business and, in the late 1970s, bought the Post Office Café, which Betty called an “eat it and beat it” place. That changed when they opened a cabaret upstairs.
Next, they bought the Pilgrim House Hotel, and between the two venues introduced many talented performers to Provincetown summer crowds. Schlosberg died on April 21 of this year.
By the 1990s, Betty and Phoebe Otis, her partner of 39 years, who sometimes worked as a singing bartender, decided to leave the entertainment business and get real estate licenses. They followed that up by buying Pied Piper Real Estate.
Although they handled some sales, they specialized in weekly summer rentals. Phoebe was office manager and Betty worked with the clients. She had a talent for matching renters with units and became a favorite of gay men in particular, many of whom would deal only with her. Landlords loved her, too, for her organized way of working. They had more than 300 listings when they sold the business.
Betty and Phoebe fell in love with Maui and decided to move there. They brought their five dogs and three cats and planned to buy Hamburger Mary’s, one of a chain of gay bars, and a house. The bar deal fell through, and they could not find a house. It was clear when they returned to Provincetown, said Phoebe, that the animals handled the disappointment better than their humans did.
Betty retired in 2014. After years of not trusting that gay marriage would remain legal, she and Phoebe married in 2016.
Besides Phoebe, Betty leaves a niece, Annette Kramer of Long Island, N.Y.
In lieu of flowers, Betty asked that donations go to Helping Our Women, 34 Conwell St., Provincetown 02657.
To leave a memory or message of condolence, visit gatelyfuneralservice.com.