As the co-proprietors of Bid’s Tavern years ago, Tom and Betty LaFreniere welcomed all comers. A lunchtime visit to the iconic establishment would confirm as much; so would the crowds on most evenings or Saturday afternoons. Sundays for these two devout Catholics, however, were always a day of rest.

The small, intimate place was always full at mid-day with contented customers feasting on Combos, Supremes, Astros, New York Dogs, burgers and other sandwiches — all washed down with cold soda or beer. You couldn’t beat the plentiful portions of inexpensive comfort food in the warm, friendly atmosphere.

There would be lawyers, doctors, bankers, newspaper reporters and business executives sitting next to plumbers, construction workers, electricians, public works crews and garbagemen. Some were regulars there; others were newcomers. It didn’t matter. Everyone was welcome; everyone was served; everyone was treated the same — like family.

And so it was, years later, when a standing-room-only crowd of hundreds of people packed the small, cozy Sacred Heart Church in Norwichtown on Thursday, Dec. 9, for Betty’s funeral. She had passed away peacefully six days earlier at the age of 87.

State and local politicians were among those standing at the rear of the small church. Virtually every seat in every pew was taken by the diverse demographics that used to fill the booths and barstools at Bid’s: surgeons, lawyers, teachers, coaches, cops and firefighters, real estate agents, teachers, laborers — young and old, Black, white and brown, men and women of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds.

They all remain part of the close-knit Bid’s family that still gathers annually, decades after the place closed under different ownership in the 1980s.

At these happy gatherings, they reminisce while savoring the delicious food and cold beer at an outdoor summer reunion that draws large crowds and raises money for the Yantic Volunteer Fire Department. Still fit and alert into his 90s, Tom has continued to man the grill every year with the sweet aroma of all those fried onions and peppers complementing the sizzle of steak, sausage, burgers and hot dogs.

Betty would attend, too. In recent years, she was slowed by the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease but would still mingle and dance a few steps to a live polka or two with Tom, her husband of 64 years, gently leading. Most in attendance would stop what they were doing to take in this happy scene and applaud at the end of the songs.

Years earlier, when my own mother suffered from Alzheimer’s, Betty would come by on a regular basis to hold her hand and visit, even though Mom — one of her closest friends — didn’t know her anymore. It didn’t matter to Betty, always a true, loving, unconditional friend.

Friendly greetings

Whether at Bid’s, a chance encounter here or there, or through her involvement with one of the many civic organizations to which she belonged, Betty greeted everyone warmly and by name. She’d ask about your family or your health if you hadn’t been feeling well; how were you doing in school or how did you like your job, she would inquire.

She was happy for you if things were going well and would offer empathy and encouragement if they weren’t. Despite the many people she knew and with whom she came into regular contact, she was never a gossip. On the contrary, she always wore a genuine smile and had nice things to say to everyone and about everyone.

In addition to being a loving wife and mother of two, (Jeannie and Tom Jr.), and working by her husband’s side for two decades at Bid’s, Betty found time to give back to the community. She volunteered for the Norwich Italian Women’s Society, the William W. Backus Hospital Auxiliary, Norwich Free Academy Alumni and the Norwich Women’s City Club.

In 2012, the Norwich Italian American Heritage and Cultural Committee honored her with its Italian of the Year Award. Those who were unfamiliar with her heritage might wonder about a LaFreniere being honored as Italian of the Year. Ah, but she was a Coletti before marrying Tom, who is French and Polish. Her father was Frank Coletti; her mom was Carmella Tramontozzi before they were married. The families would spawn two generations of prominent Norwich surgeons, Betty’s late brother Dr. Larry Coletti, and late cousin, Dr. Anthony Tramontozzi, and their sons, Dr. David Coletti, Chief of Surgery for Hartford Healthcare’s East Region, and Dr. Mark Tramontozzi, a general surgeon and member of Hartford Healthcare’s East Region Board of Directors.

Betty’s career also began in healthcare. After graduating from NFA in 1952, she enrolled in the Backus Hospital School of Nursing, and graduated in 1955. A decade later, though, she joined Tom at Bid’s, working side-by-side with him for more than 20 years.

Tom had been a Norwich firefighter until he narrowly escaped death three years earlier in a chemical explosion at the Van Tassel Warehouse that killed four of his fellow firefighters. He recovered from his serious physical injuries, but was so haunted by the tragedy, he retired from the city’s fire department to take over the helm at Bid’s from his father.

Tom and Betty were a happy, loveable couple — Tom always ready with a corny joke, Betty with her typical warm greeting. They danced beautifully together, loved music and enjoyed traveling over the years until Betty became ill. She was described aptly as “a woman of simple elegance.”

Yes, she was all of that and so much more, always ready to step up when someone needed help or encouragement. She and Tom always wanted their guests at Bid’s to feel at home, and we always did.

When it was described to those who had heard of Bid’s but never been, it was often likened to Cheers, a friendly Boston neighborhood bar in the popular television series by the same name.

“Making your way in the world today

Takes everything you’ve got;

Taking a break from all your troubles

Sure would help a lot;

Wouldn’t you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,

And they’re always glad you came;

You want to go where you can go

People are all the same;

You want to go where everybody knows your name

You want to go where you can go

People are all the same;

You want to go where everybody knows your name.”

Yes, with everyone on equal social footing, and the friendly chatter flowing as freely as the beer, it was a little like Cheers, only very real and much, much better thanks to the wonderful couple who ran the place. There were no fights or foul language; just a pool table, lots of good food, cheap beer, and Tom and Betty.

Like Bid’s itself, Betty is gone now, but both will always live on in our memories for the warmth and comfort they provided, even on those days when we did need a break from all our troubles. And, yes, it sure did help a lot. Thanks, Betty.

Bill Stanley, a former vice president at L+M Hospital, grew up in Norwich.