Betty Joyce Trott

Betty Joyce (Rice) Trott, aged 88, was born in Bentonville, Arkansas, and went home to be with the Lord, Monday, February 21, 2022, after a courageous battle with blood cancer. Her last days were shared with her family at her home in Powell, Ohio.

Betty and her sister were raised by their loving aunt and uncle in State College, Pennsylvania. Betty loved theater and in high school she performed in the school plays. Betty went on to Penn State University and majored in theater. She moved to Schenectady, New York, where she taught third grade and met and married the love of her life, B. Dale Trott in 1958. Betty and Dale had two daughters while Dale was studying for his PhD at the University of Illinois. In 1966 they moved to Columbus, Ohio. When her daughters were young, Betty directed neighborhood plays creating great memories for her daughters and the children in the neighborhood.

Betty and Dale raced Thistle sailboats locally and at the national level, and were quite involved at Hoover Yacht Club. Along with organizing the first junior instruction program in sailing at the club in 1969, Betty was instrumental in instilling a love for sailing in her grandchildren.

Betty had an eye for beauty and all things beautiful. She had an image and color consulting business for 10 years including advising TV news anchor women and the local chapter of Dress for Success for disadvantaged women in Columbus.

As grandchildren were born, she started writing children's stories and wrote and published Breath On Me Butterflies. She was very creative and had an imagination with a vision that led to writing many stories and plays specifically for her grandchildren, neighborhood children, and extended family children making memorable vacations.

Her passion and creativity for theater continued as she was the Director of children's television at the Center of Science and Industry (COSI), Director of Grandview children's musicals, and seven years as Director and actor with Worthington Griswold Players entertaining at many senior centers. She went on to the Dublin Recreation Center, as Director of Dublin Senior Players for 12 more years, providing opportunities for seniors to act and entertain the community. She spent nearly 20 years directing plays, even casting her husband in 22 of her plays. There was personal growth and development of every person who acted in her plays as a result of performing under her direction.

Betty is survived by husband Dale Trott; two daughters Nancy (Mike) Deakins and Cindy (Mitch) Friel; seven grandchildren Tim (Heidi) Deakins, James Deakins, Sarah (Will) Spaulding, Ross and Burk Friel, Mike and Heather Stiff; three great grandchildren Peter and Logan Spaulding and Eloise Deakins; and her beloved Westies, Stickeen and Max. She was preceded in death by her sister, Mary Lee Rice.

As she grew older, she pursued her genealogy and her family history traveling to Bentonville, AR, to find any living relatives. She loved her dogs dearly. So much that Dale and others sometimes referred to her as half dog, which she embraced as a term of endearment. Even in her last months, she was more concerned about her dogs well-being rather than her own.

The family would like to say how much we appreciate Debbie and her Compassionate Caregivers who provided loving care for Betty: Victoria, Alecia, Florence, Halima, Lisa, Jessie, and Jessica. And a special thanks to Pat White and Betty McGee and Dale's neighbors for all of the help and support they have provided while Betty was fighting cancer.

There will be a celebration of life on March 4th from 6pm-8pm at the Trott residence, 8808 Renfrew Street, Powell, Ohio 43065.