As Betsy Reed Shultz shook hands with President and Mrs. Obama last Memorial Day, a wave of sadness washed over her. Exactly one year earlier, she was at Dover Air Force Base receiving the remains of her son, Capt. Joseph William Schultz, a Special Forces Soldier who had been killed in Afghanistan. That's when she decided to turn her home into a retreat for families of fallen Soldiers.

"The Captain Joseph House will be a place where families can begin building new memories and traditions," said Betsy, who attended a Gold Star ceremony at the White House for families of the fallen. "It will provide a continuum of care for military families and be a respite where they can regroup and hopefully move into a new chapter of life without their Soldier."

Schultz died on May 29, 2011 when an improvised explosive device (IED) hit his Humvee in the Wardak province, Afghanistan. He was 36 years old. A former Clinton Administration staffer, Schultz deployed three times. He received the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Bronze Star. He served with the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, and, after receiving his Green Beret, served with the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), where he was the Detachment Commander.

"He had 11 memorial services around the country," said Betsy. "He never lost touch with anyone and knew people in every part of the world - people wanted to honor him. I'm very proud of him - he had a responsibility to his country and he made it a better place."

The Captain Joseph House Foundation is the 501(C)(3) charitable organization under which the house is being remodeled. Construction should be complete in the spring of 2013.

Once complete, the home, located in Port Angeles, Wash., will host up to 14 people (three families). It will be open from March to January and will have a basketball court, children's nanny and multiple planned activities for families, including hikes with the Sierra Club, crafts, playrooms and ping pong. There will also be licensed CPR staff, mental health professionals and clergy of all denominations on hand. The all-expense-paid respite/retreat (including food and entertainment) will also include free transportation to and from the house. It will be available to families from all branches of the military.

"For families of the fallen, celebrating holiday traditions, birthdays and the anniversary of their Soldier's death can be difficult," Betsy said.  "But this retreat will serve as a transitional place to help families make that monumental shift."

The foundation will also offer scholarships for post-high school education expenses for children. Capt. Schultz believed education was the key to successful living. A former educator, Betsy also spent 24 years working in developmental services and social services counseling. She's a past board director and former president of the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the 2012 Soroptomist International of the Americas Woman of Distinction recipient.

"Joseph would be so proud of what I'm doing," she said. "He would think the retreat was very meaningful."

To donate and for more information, visit www.captainjosephhousefoundation.org or call Betsy at (360) 460-7848.