Betty was born in Sand Springs March 15, 1930 as the youngest child of Marjorie Elizabeth (Nutting), a piano teacher, and William Milton Eddy, a grocer. She grew up in Tulsa and graduated from Central High School in 1948, the same school as her sweetheart, although they did not meet until college. After high school she worked for the Curtiss Candy Company. In 1949 she enrolled at the University of Tulsa where she met her future husband in a geography class. After freshman year Ted enlisted in the Navy and served during the Korean War. They kept up their relationship per correspondence. Meanwhile she completed her degree, majoring in English and actively involved in organizations, including the Future Teachers of America and the Spanish Club.
After graduation in 1954, Betty followed in her grandmother’s footsteps and taught grade school in Dalhart, TX and later Blackwell, OK, after working for the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission. Meanwhile, Ted returned from the war and in 1957 Betty married the only man she ever loved. They both agreed that she would devote her time to the family, and while Ted was completing his degree in engineering at OSU in Stillwater, Ted III soon came along. A job at the State Health Department brought them to Oklahoma City, and the family was soon complete with daughter Tina.
Friends and family were a central part of Betty’s life. She was dedicated to her parents and is remembered by many for her attentive cards, especially the vibrant letters that she wrote. An English major, school teacher and long-time admirer of the writings of Jane Austen, Betty loved the intricacies of language and often made puns. She enjoyed reading obituaries for the lives that people led, but also kept for a while a collection of real names that rhymed.
Along with Ted, Betty was committed to Metropolitan Baptist Church, which they attended since 1959. They actively participated wherever possible and Betty was at times Sunday School teacher, Vacation Bible School leader, Pioneer Girls mentor, among others. The church family meant a great deal to her and she helped in any way she could. Her loyalty extended to land and country. She was deeply proud of being an Oklahoman, and rooted for the home team and supported the arts.
Betty loved flowers and regularly went to the daylily shows at Will Rogers Park. She enjoyed birdwatching and kept binoculars at the table to see the birds in the backyard. She loved dogs and cats – a favorite routine at Bellevue was to “go look for cats” outside the windows. Health issues had long deterred Betty from traveling, but she enjoyed OETA shows, especially when they were about the Netherlands or other places where family members had journeyed. The daughter of a piano teacher, Betty loved music, and in college she and her closest friends, Pat McCune, Pat (Thompson) Marks, and Barbara (Wilburn) Stears, formed a Spanish quartet called ‘Las Marzas’, i.e., ‘The March Women’, since their birthdays were in March. In later years they would often meet in March and reprise some of their songs. Betty sang harmony and these songs were with her until the end. She surprised her family in later life when she developed a taste for country music – she loved the colorful stories they told. Music was a source of strength and she often sang, even in her sleep.
Betty loved life, she loved to laugh and she looked for humor in every situation, and for ways to share it, sometimes using it to catch people off guard. She was a good listener and took a deep interest in those around her, touching the lives of many, many people, up until the very end. She is now rejoicing with the Lord but will be profoundly missed here on earth.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband of 60 years; son, “Ted” Williamson III (Jan); daughter, “Tina” Williamson, PhD (Wob Jansen); brother, Bill Eddy; sister, Janice Pratt; brother-in-law, Jim Williamson; and many other family members and friends.
Visitation will be from 1-8 PM with family to receive guests from 4-6 PM Thursday, December 21, 2017 at Buchanan Funeral Service. Services to celebrate her life will be 10:00 AM, Friday, December 22, 2017 at Metropolitan Baptist Church with burial to follow at 2:00 PM at Memorial Park in Tulsa, OK.
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