Betty Jane Lockhart

Betty Jane Lockhart was born in Spisske Podhradie, in the district of Levoca, Slovak Republic to Paul Brodnan and Josephine Mladsik Brodnan on November 27, 1924. She and her family including three sisters immigrated via Hamburg and Ellis Island to the United States in 1929 where her name was changed from Gisella to Elizabeth, and later in life to Betty Jane. The family settled in Carrollville (now Oak Creek), Wisconsin. Three additional sisters were born in Wisconsin creating a lively household of seven sisters! The younger sisters had interesting nicknames, including Fifi, BJ (Betty Jane), Smokey, Dusty, and Bunny (the youngest).

After graduating from South Milwaukee High School, she worked at a local forge company before joining the WAVES (United States Navy) in New York City from 1945-46. Using the GI bill, she initially attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI before transferring to George Washington University in Washington, DC, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa, in 1950 with a major in psychology. During and after college, she had several jobs including at the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and briefly at the CIA.

Betty and her lifelong friend, Rejje Cramer, lived in a basement apartment in a brownstone near Dupont Circle and had a lively social life. Rejje introduced Betty to Dr. Luther B. Lockhart, Jr. from Atlanta, Georgia. He was a chemist at the Naval Research Laboratory where Rejje’s sister worked. Apparently, it was love at first sight, and after a short engagement they were married on July 7, 1951 and moved to Fairfax County, Virginia where she has resided ever since. Within the next eight years, Betty and Luther became the proud parents of four children: Katherine, Thomas, Jean and Kent. Betty was active as a parent hosting birthday parties and volunteering at the elementary school. She also began taking gourmet cooking classes, and her family reaped the benefits of shrimp Newberg, chicken cordon bleu, homemade egg rolls and wonton soup, to name a few. She loved entertaining her friends with gourmet dinners. During this time Betty convinced her husband and children to take up tennis at the local swim club, and all members of the family could be found on the tennis courts during the summer (some better than others!)

Once all her children were in school, Betty returned to work first at Lord &Taylor department store where she excelled in sales and learned how to shop the sales for classy clothes which were part of her signature look! In 1972, Betty joined George Mason College (now George Mason University) in Fairfax, Virginia. She worked at GMU for 30 years, as the Graduate Student Administrator for the History Department retiring in 2002. Many graduate students owe their advanced degrees to Betty for keeping them on track to meet their degree requirements!

When she wasn’t working, Betty enjoyed playing tennis year round on several competitive teams and socializing with her tennis friends. She enjoyed visiting her extended family of six sisters who had relocated across the United States and hosting family visits at her home in Fairfax. She and Luther took tours and cruises to many countries in Europe including the Slovak Republic. But, most of all, she and Luther loved spending time with their eight grandchildren who lived close by in Northern Virginia and with their two grandchildren in Italy. She never had a chance to meet her three great-grandchildren who were born in 2019 and 2020.

Betty and Luther were happily married for 60 years until Luther’s death at age 94, on May 12, 2012. Betty’s last years were spent dealing with the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as macular degeneration which resulted in partial blindness. Always a very social individual, even as her memory declined, she loved music and dancing and would “chat” with anyone she saw, though not recognizing those who she knew so well. Betty passed away on January 8, 2021 from complications of COVID-19. Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org.

River of Sorrow

by Todd Nigro

Drinking from the waters of sorrow

sustains a different kind of life.

This river is hidden

from the rest of the world.

Tears drip from my chin and fall into

an endless flow of liquid love.

This river sparkles with beauty.