Betty Jo (Richards) Harper

BETTY JO "BJ" HARPER, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Thursday, May 1, 2014 after miraculously surviving an illness for many years. A lifelong Christian, "BJ" worshipped at St. Joseph United Methodist Church in Fort Wayne for more than 30 years and always placed God in the center of her life. Beyond her relationship with Jesus Christ, her next greatest loves were her family and friends. She was born March 1, 1939, in Morgantown, W. Va., a daughter of Harry J. and Frances Richards. BJ graduated from Morgantown High School and West Virginia University. She completed her master's degree in secondary education at Indiana University. BJ was proud of her Welsh heritage. She also believed that "every day is a gift, and one should strive to live each day to its fullest." She loved teaching and traveling, and her quest was to continually educate others about the world in which we live. BJ was active in Girl Scouts from second grade well into adulthood. As part of her love for scouting, she taught Red Cross Water Safety for 14 years and served as Girl Scout leader throughout her daughter Sara's involvement. Early in her teaching career, she taught gym, science, and special education, and coached high school girls' volleyball and track. She later served as a volleyball referee, and was an IHSAA track official for many years, serving at many meets including the IHSAA State Track Meets in Indianapolis. At Northrop High School, BJ served as the director of the planetarium and taught astronomy for the last fourteen years of her career, earning the nickname, "The Starlady." She retired from Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS) in 2006 after 21 years as a science teacher at Northrop and North Side High Schools. However, her career as a teacher in the public schools spanned 42 years in West Virginia, Michigan, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. Upon retiring from FWCS, she continued to serve as a volunteer director in the planetariums at both Northrop High School and Wayne High School, giving tours and presentations to many students and community groups. As a lifelong educator with a passion for astronomy and archaeo-astronomy, she was an active member of the Michigan Earth Science Teachers Association (MESTA), the NASA Solar System Ambassador for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the recipient of many of grants including an Eli Lilly Endowment in 1996. That Lilly grant enabled her to take the first of many trips to Wales, England, Scotland, and Ireland to do research that would ultimately help her students learn about Neolithic people and their quest to understand the world based on the movement of the sun, moon, and stars. During these trips, BJ gained many new friends, including astronomers, archaeologists, and planetarium directors, with whom she shared her passion for the stars. She was an active member of the Fort Wayne Astronomical Society (FWAS), serving on the board for nearly 15 years, including serving in vice president and program chairman roles. She was also active with the Greenway Consortium Board, Three Rivers Woodworkers, Fort Wayne Machinists Group, and worked with TekVenture from its inception on programs like the Chain Reaction Challenge, and MakerFaire. BJ loved the outdoors, was an avid cyclist, swimmer, downhill and cross-country snow skier. She also enjoyed sailing with friends on weekends each summer on several lakes throughout Indiana and Ohio. BJ lived life to the fullest. She is survived by her children, Sara Harper of Fort Wayne, and Doug (Melanie) Harper of Peachtree City, Ga.; and one grandson, Robert "Bobby" Michael Harper; also sisters, Diane (Ralph) Lowther of Brandenburg, Ky., Debby (Roger) King of Morgantown, W. Va.; and a brother, Tom Richards, also of Morgantown, W. Va.; and many, very dear friends who have loved and cared for her. She was preceded in death by her husband of 43 years, Robert "Bob" G. "Giff" Harper of Cairo, W. Va.; and an infant son. A Celebration of Life is 1 p.m. Saturday, May 10, 2014 at St. Joseph UMC, Fort Wayne, with calling two hours prior. Visitation also from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 9, 2014 at Hockemeyer & Miller Funeral Home, 6131 St. Joe Road, Fort Wayne, Ind. In lieu of flowers, BJ requests donations to St. Joseph United Methodist Church, Fort Wayne, Ind.; TekVenture (http://tekventure.org/); or The Fort Wayne Astronomical Society