Bette Jean Becker

Bette Jean Becker December 1, 1921 - February 8, 2017 Bette Jean Dissmore Becker was born December 1, 1921 to Harold and Alta Dissmore while enroute to the hospital from their home outside of Rufus, Oregon. Bette - with an “e” – spent the first years of her life on her parent’s wheat farm in Wasco County, before moving to Vernonia and then East Portland where the Dissmore’s opened a grocery store at SE 162nd and Division. The family lived in a house next to the store, where Bette and her sisters, Barbara and Phyllis, grew up helping out at the store. Bette lived in the Lynch neighborhood for the rest of her life. She went to Big Lynch Grade School and graduated in 1939 from Gresham High School. Bette attended Multnomah College, Portland State and Oregon State to obtain her teaching certificate. On December 9, 1942, Bette married Robert (Bob) E. Becker, and during the War, while Bob was with the Army in the South Pacific, she worked as secretary to the President of Electric Steel Foundry (ESCO) in NW Portland, and spent her free time volunteering at a local hospital. Following the War Bette continued to keep the books for her parent’s grocery store and other small businesses, and was a Girl Scout Leader while raising her son David and daughter Gail. Bette then began a career teaching school (kindergarten, grade school and special needs) at various Lynch and Gresham schools. Following her retirement from teaching she remained engaged in community service teaching adults to read, and volunteering with Meals on Wheels and SnowCap Community Charities. In 1946, Bob and Bette were charter members of the Lynch Baptist Church (Living Hope) where she was a Sunday School teacher and youth program advisor, and spent many summers as a counselor at church camps. Bette was preceded in death by her husband Bob in 1997, and recently by her nephew Jeff Baltz, November 4, 2016, and beloved sister Phyllis Baltz on November 21, 2016, resulting in postponement of her 95th birthday party. Other survivors include her sister Barbara Morris of Stayton, sister-in-law Bette Wojcik of McMinnville, son David Becker and wife Terri, and daughter Gail Nemo and husband David of Portland. Bette is also survived by grandchildren, Jonathan Becker and wife Katie, Christopher Becker, Alisha Becker, great-granddaughter Julia Becker, and eight nieces and nephews. She will be remembered as a loving mother, grandmother and friend who was always positive and encouraging. Bette passed away peacefully and comfortably at the Hopewell House Hospice on February, 8, 2017, as a result of a stroke. The family wishes to acknowledge and thank staff at both Portland Adventist Hospital and Hopewell House for their kind and compassionate care of Bette. Bette’s family invites her friends to join them in a belated 95th Birthday Celebration for Bette on Sunday, February 26, 2017, from 2-4 pm at Living Hope Baptist Church, 3130 SE 148th Ave, Portland, Oregon. Remembrances may be directed to SnowCap Community Charities or Living Hope Baptist Church.