Betty Lee Scarmardo Carrabba

Betty Lee Scarmardo Carrabba, 81, passed away on August 14, 2010 in Bryan, Texas. She was called home to be with her Lord on Saturday with her loving family at her side. St. Anthony Altar Society Rosary will be at 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 17, 2010 at Memorial Funeral Chapel in Bryan, followed by visitation from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with the public Rosary to be recited at 6:00 p.m.. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, August 18, 2010 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Bryan, with Rev. Patrick Ebner and Rev. Msgr. John Malinowski as co-celebrants. Internment will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Bryan.

Betty was born November 30, 1928, in Caldwell, Texas to Joe C. Scarmardo and Carrie Scarpinato Scarmardo. She spent her childhood years in Burleson County, Texas and graduated from Caldwell High School in 1945. Soon thereafter she moved to Denton, Texas to attend Texas Woman’s University where she achieved academic honors all four years while maintaining a very active student life as a member of Sigma Pi Beta, the Betsy Ross Club, The Professional Business Women’s Club, and serving as Secretary of the Mary Bryan Lions Club. Betty graduated from TWU with honors in 1949 with degrees in both Business and Education. Following graduation Betty moved to Bryan, married and was blessed with two sons, David and Mark.

Betty’s family and church were the priorities of Betty’s life and she devoted much energy and time to her sons’ upbringing, education and activities. This family devotion continued throughout Betty’s life and was reflected so lovingly in her later years through her dedicated support and her presence at every sporting, church, school and life event for each of her three grandsons, Grant, Ross and Travis. Betty was also very active in her church where she served as a member of the St. Anthony Financial Board, The Parish Board, and the Alter Society. Betty remained a devout member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Bryan for the entire sixty-one years she made Bryan her home.

Betty’s professional career began with her government service work for the United States Department of Agriculture and then for the Social Security Administration. After a number of years in this work she made a career change to work full time with the family business, Gooseneck Trailer Mfg. Co., Inc. in Bryan. Over the years her professional administrative and leadership skills added greatly to the family’s business success. Betty will also be remembered with appreciation for her philanthropic gifts and her significant contributions to our community through her service to several community organizations, as well as her tenure on the Boards for St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, St. Joseph Regional Health Center Foundation and the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History. Upon her retirement from the family business, Betty fulfilled another part of her life’s dreams to travel more and experience new places in the world which she did as she enjoyed numerous stateside and overseas trips with friends.

She was preceded in death by her mother Carrie S. Scarmardo and her father Joe C. Scarmardo.

She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, David and Candace Carrabba, and Mark and Kay Carrabba, all of Bryan; grandsons Grant and Travis Carrabba of Bryan, and Ross Carrabba of 29 Palms, California; step-mother, Mary Ann Scarmardo of Bryan; brother Pete J. Scamardo of Bryan; and sister Mary Jo Lindsay and her husband Gregory of Bryan. She is also survived by a niece, several nephews and cousins, and numerous friends.

The family also extends their appreciation to Betty’s special long term care givers; Ruby Ransom, Laura Gill, Latorsha Pool and Rochell McGruder for their dedication and caring.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Joseph Regional Health Center Foundation, Bryan, Texas.