January 4, 1920 – March 17, 2024
Betts at 100 … January 4, 2020 … Here she is preparing to entertain the guests at her birthday party by singing “Brush Up On Shakespeare” and reciting from memory a Shakespearean Sonnet.
The social room at the Center for Spiritual Living was packed as friends and family helped Betts celebrate 100 years. Her friends described her as amazing, gracious, vibrant, fun, and beautiful.
A Dazzling Dayton Dame
I interviewed Betts for my blog sometime in 2020, naming her a Dazzling Dayton Dame. What I found most interesting about Betts is her spiritual journey. After her divorce in 1963, she felt the need to “open my heart and soul to something more.” She found Unity and later Religious Science.
This metaphysical approach “suited my personality.” She came to love what Jesus said and how he associated with common people.
After her second husband died, Betts was invited to join a group of women who came to be dubbed, The Angels. It was there she found her most meaningful spiritual community. And it was there that I met Betts sometime in 2018.
For my interview, she shared many fond memories with me. Her Jewish ancestors immigrated from Ukraine. She grew up on the beach in Coney Island, New York. At 15, she had the honor of meeting Eleanor Roosevelt. In 1940, she and her husband moved to Dayton. And she let everyone who would listen know that she was the proud aunt of Billy Joel!
Moving to Dayton was a bit of a culture shock. To deal with her depression, she began to walk every day. That led to a love of exercise. She taught herself yoga by watching “Lilias and You” on TV and then volunteered at St. Leonard’s, teaching yoga and other forms of exercise to the nuns in residence. She was also the first person to start exercise classes for Beavercreek Parks and Recreation. She participated in yoga classes for years. That may account for her longevity.
I remember one Angel meeting where, in her late 90s, she got up in the middle of the room, danced a jig, and recited Shakespeare from memory.
Dazzling to the End
I visited her in her home in March 2022. Still an avid reader at 102, one of those library books by her bedside was The Third Jesus by Deepak Chopra. Betts lived in her own home until two days before her death in the wee hours of St. Patrick’s Day. She was 104.
I dedicate this column to three of her faithful Angel friends, Gay, Joy, and Meribeth. They regularly visited her and made sure she had what she needed to be comfortable. Betts, at 104, was ready to make her transition.
I’ll bet she is dazzling heaven with her indomitable spirit! Thanks for your inspiration, Betts. We remember you with great fondness!!
Betts was one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever had the pleasure to know. I hope someone warned heaven she was coming!!
Ruth, I chuckle every time I read what you wrote about hoping someone warned heaven that Betts was coming. I’ll bet she’s livened things up there. Indeed she was a fascinating person and a pleasure to know. A real inspiration for how to age with vitality and joy! You do a pretty good job of that yourself.
Beautiful Story! Refreshing ❤️🙏..
So good to hear from you, Lois,
Thank you for commenting,
This week I’ve had texts and conversations with other classmates … Saundra, Pat, and Mahlon. Delightful conversations. Would love to have one with you soon. Hope you are doing well.
Beautiful tribute, Linda. Her life is an inspiration to say the least!
Thank you for commenting here, Penny,
Good to hear from you. And, yes, Betts’s life was indeed an inspiration. Glad you enjoyed reading about her!
I’m sorry that you lost your friend, Betts. It sounds like she lived a joyous, meaningful life. This is a beautiful tribute to her.
Thank you, Carol, for your comments about Betts. Indeed she did live a joyous and meaningful life … right up to the end of a very long life. It was a joy to know her and I loved writing about her. She was an inspiration.
I never knew her, as I did not live in Dayton. But Linda, your tribute brought her to life. What an amazing woman she was!
Thank you, Pam, for your kind words. Yes, indeed, Betts was an amazing woman. And she would have loved knowing you and about the work you have done for economic justice around the world. She would have held you in high esteem.
You are very kind, LInda.
I remember Betts well from knowing her at the Spiritual Center. I attended her second husband’s funeral. I remember her love of performing. One day, she wanted to go with me to an Art Show at the Fraze after church. She helped me take the proper turns, find the right parking place, and know which exhibits to go to in the right order! She was a force to be reckoned with, for sure!
Thank you, Kathy, for sharing your remembrances of Betts. It is so kind of you to make a comment here. Hope life is treating you well.
I can see her directing you to just the right place. She was exacting and such fun. A force to be reckoned with for sure.
A lovely tribute, Linda! Thank you. This is how I remember Betts, too. I met Betts at Celebration of Life Church a few years before Jim died. She loved Jim dearly. If you looked in Betts’ closet, you would find lovely clothes. If you looked at photos from her younger days, she was quite the chic woman. Being with Betts often felt like sitting with a Queen holding a beloved court. The thing is, as much as Betts had to say and share, she was a deep listener and so empowering of anyone’s growth. She was politically active, too, in her own way, with deep held convictions about the powerful wonderfulness of our democratic Republic-and she wanted it taken care of carefully. Truly, she was and is one of a kind-a force to recon with and enjoy!
Thanks, Teresa, for adding your experiences with Betts. I did not have the pleasure of knowing her while Jim was alive. I know she was always stylishly dressed, but I didn’t know about her closet full of lovely clothes. I know what you mean about her holding court like a Queen. And indeed she was a Queen in the best sense of the word.
I appreciated her deep listening and interest in other people’s lives. That is a rare quality that I highly value.
You, my dear, carry on her concern for our democratic Republic. It seems that immigrants who hail from other parts of the world, especially repressive parts, appreciate our country more than those of us with ancestors who came a long time ago. We tend to take it for granted. Let us hope we won’t have to come to that appreciation the hard way as more recent immigrants have. Indeed, Betts was one of a kind. Being a force to be reckoned with was experienced by Gay, Meribeth, and Joy who continued to meet the demands placed on them with their enduring friendship. They deserve much credit.
Dear Linda, thank you for this wonderful tribute to our beloved Betts. It was a blessing to have her as a friend. We’ll certainly miss her but her spirit will remain with us through all the marvelous wisdom and stories she shared with us. She was ready to move on to her next adventure. Godspeed, dear Betts
Thank you for your comment, Joy,
You certainly were a faithful friend to Betts until the very end. I know she appreciated it. And I know you were blessed by being able to do it. Yes, her spirit will remain with us always. She was an inspiration for sure. And I know she was ready to move on to her next adventure. She just couldn’t take it much longer in the body that would no longer let her dance.
Love and blessings to you, dear friend.
Thank you, Betts for your beautiful and powerful/vulnerable life. Thank you, Linda, for introducing me to this joyous spirit.
Margie, It’s so great to hear from you. You and Betts would have loved each other. You have similar spirits of adventure. Would love to hear more of what’s going on in your life. I still cherish your teaching me to take the next step even if I don’t feel up to it. That has served me well over the years. I have a much fuller life because of that teaching!