Betty Wilhelm Horton

Betty Wilhelm Horton, 64, of Austin, Texas, passed away on November 29, 2015 while on vacation in Hawaii. Betty was born on July 21, 1951 to Johnnie Lee and Nila Ruth Wilhelm in Dallas, Texas. She graduated from South Garland High School in 1969, then earned her bachelor's degree and Master of Public Administration from Texas State University. In 1972, she married her high school sweetheart, Maxwell Davis (Dave) Horton. They had two daughters, Kelly Horton Montiville and Shana Horton.

Betty worked for several members of the Texas House of Representatives from 1975 until her retirement in 2013 (19 legislative sessions, possibly a record). She influenced countless pieces of legislation that impact the lives of Texans every day; but perhaps more importantly, she was a mentor and friend to generations of Capitol staff members.

Betty resided in the Westlake Hills area for 35 years and was a member of Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church. Though she could speak fluently on any public policy issue, she was most proud of her role as a mom and grandma to her two talented children and precious granddaughter.

In her retirement, she enjoyed traveling with Dave, including trips to Alaska, Costa Rica, Scotland, England, France, Italy, a river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest, and across the U.S. She was on vacation when she passed away, doing one of the things she loved the most – snorkeling in Hawaii.

Betty was preceded in death by her father, Johnnie Wilhelm. She is survived by her husband of 43 years, Dave Horton, her daughters, Kelly and Shana, her mother, Nila Wilhelm, her siblings, Carol Martin, Johnnie Lee (Jay) Wilhelm II, and Lisa Henry, her beloved granddaughter, Georgia Montiville, and countless other family members and friends.

A memorial service will be held at Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church on Bee Caves Road at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 6. To honor her memory, Betty asked that memorial donations be made to Service Dogs, Inc. (www.servicedogs.org). Betty worked with the organization in 1995 to pass a law providing greater protection to Texas service dogs.