Thomas William Bettis

1933-2015

Thomas "Tom" William Bettis died on February 28, 2015. He was born on March 17, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois to William and Gertrude Bettis.

On June 4, 1955, he married Valerie Jeanne deLanuex in West Lafayette, Indiana. Tom and Valerie were happily married for 48 years until Valerie's death in 2003. They shared a love and devotion to one another and their three daughters, Lisa, Karen, and Krista. Both Tom and Valerie were graduates of Purdue University where Tom was an All-American football player. After graduation, Tom was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first-round of the NFL draft. He had a successful 9-year NFL playing career for the Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Chicago Bears. After his playing career, Tom went on to coach in the NFL for 30 years, including for the 1969-70 Super Bowl IV Champions and the 1966-67 AFC Champions, Kansas City Chiefs. Tom was also inducted into both the Purdue University Athletic Hall of Fame and the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame. He retired from coaching with the Houston Oilers in 1995 and resided with his wife, Valerie, in Pearland, Texas. He has recently been living in Katy, Texas for the past 8 years.

He is preceded in death by his wife and his parents. He is survived by his daughter, Krista Mayzer, of Katy, Texas, and her husband, Mike, and grandchildren, Ashley, Andrea, and Matt; his daughter, Karen Kannard, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and her husband, Kraig, and grandchildren, Brian, Eric and his wife, Robin, and Aaron; his daughter, Lisa Snyder, of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, and her husband Dan, and grandchildren, Kyle and his wife Megan, Kevin, and Scott; his brother, Harvey Bettis, and his wife, Ann, of Tucson, Arizona; and his sister, Kathy Bettis, and her husband, Tim Wagner, of Waunakee, Wisconsin.

His funeral service was held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3, 2015, at St. Bartholomew the Apostle Catholic Church in Katy, with Father Dat Hoang officiating.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make memorial gifts may do so in support of the

Alzheimer's Association

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