Betty Joann Pearson

Well, the heavenly choir must be very happy with their newest addition to the soprano section. It’s been a while since she was a featured soloist, but in no time I’m sure that they will want to start rehearsing ‘O Holy Night’ for the 2024 Christmas concert.

It is with great sadness, but also with great hope and the promise of heaven, that the family of Betty Pearson announces her passing on Monday, September 30, 2024, at the age of 95.

Betty was born in Detroit, Michigan on August 28, 1929, to Arthur and Vera Lee. The oldest of five children, she helped her parents around the house and with her siblings, as well as go to school. With a growing family of seven, times weren’t always easy, and the family moved around a lot, but she has said that she always felt loved and secure. She told us many stories about having fun with her cousins and the rest of her colorful relations. Her singing talent was apparent to everyone at an early age, and she was frequently asked to sing at family gatherings.

Betty graduated from Hazel Park High School in 1946 and after graduation began working for Bell Telephone.

During that time Betty fell in love with the boy next door, well literally the boy across the street, and she married Arthur Pearson in 1951.

Janis Lee was born in 1952, and Terri Lynn in 1954.

After a couple of moves in between to Boyne City, MI and Huntsville, AL, the family moved to Orlando, FL in 1958 as Art was employed by Martin Marietta as part of the early unmanned space missions. The family made many pre-dawn road trips to watch the rocket launches from Cape Kennedy, now Cape Canaveral.

During those early years Betty was the quintessential stay at home mom involving herself in her girls and their activities, PTA, dance lessons, Girl Scouts, swimming lessons and cheerleading.

Betty had a beautiful soprano singing voice and was always busy with local community theater. She was a member of the choir at the Pine Castle United Methodist Church for many years and her beautiful rendition of ‘O Holy Night’ was a favorite Christmas tradition.

In 1967 Betty went back to work at Southern Bell Telephone (AT&T) and worked there until she retired.

Betty loved to play golf in her early years and was a regular volunteer at the Walt Disney World Golf Classic event. She was also a member of many bowling teams through the years, even still league bowling until she was 85.

Betty loved going out to eat with her girlfriends, she loved her Soaps, and she loved flying to visit her daughters and her grandkids in their hometowns.

Betty had the opportunity to travel to many states and countries over the years. Colorado, Hawaii, Greece, and England. London was her favorite place to visit as she loved to attend the theater and the opera there.

Her favorite television show of all time was FRIENDS. She could practically recite every line from every episode and could have beaten anyone in a FRIENDS trivia contest.

Betty was, by default, an enthusiastic Denver Bronco fan but only if they weren’t playing her Detroit Lions, then all bets were off.

Betty was sweet and quiet and thoughtful, and she loved her family deeply. She also had a quick wit and a great sense of humor and was making the doctors and nurses laugh up until the very end. She lived independently in her own apartment with the help of her caregiver until she was almost 95. Exactly how she wanted it.

Her family and friends will greatly miss her and are sad that she is no longer with us, but we are comforted by the fact that she is now seeing a view that the rest of us can only dream of. She lost her singing voice as the years caught up with her, but we rejoice that now she will be able to sing fully and freely forever.

Betty is predeceased by: Parents Arthur and Vera Lee, her brother Richard (Dick) Lee, his wife Diane, and by her beloved Aunt June and Uncle Chuck; Charles and June Miller.

She is survived by: Daughters Janis Pearson Lockport, IL and Terri Owen (Scott) Berthoud, CO.

Grandchildren: Brandon Chase (Jill) Lockport, IL, Sam Owen (Keegan) Arvada, CO, and Kate Owen Thornton, CO.

Great-grandchildren: Zachary Chase, Allison Chase, Layla Owen and Morrison Owen.

Siblings: Gene Shepard (wives Barbara and Shirley deceased) Shelby Township, MI, Sharon Schmidt (husband Ron deceased) Macomb, MI, and Carol DeLozier Rochester, MI.

Cousins: Sandy and Al Olah Flushing, MI and Bill and Judy Igo

She is also survived by fourteen nieces and nephews and numerous great and great-great nieces and nephews.

The family would especially like to extend our deepest gratitude to mom’s beloved caregiver and friend of seven years Mirabel Citron. She took such wonderful care of mom, and we truly could not have done it with her. She was indeed our guardian “angel”.

There will be a gathering to celebrate Betty’s life in the spring.

Cremation is entrusted to Howe Mortuary & Crematory of Longmont, Colorado.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.howemortuary.com for the Pearson family.