Betty Claire Pickering

Betty Claire Pickering, only child of Joseph L. Cunningham and Ruth Patterson, was born in San Antonio, TX on September 7, 1918, and passed away on March 23, 2005. She attended schools in San Antonio and Dallas, and was an Art Major at Southern Methodist University.

During World War II, she worked at the Pentagon; was an art instructor in Dallas, and a Hill Country goat rancher. She subsequently became a pioneer in educotherapy, working with children with learning disabilities from her home. It became a career that spanned over thirty-five years.

Betty's Church activities included assisting in the development of the Dallas Episcopal parishes of St. Michael's and All Angels and St. Luke's. Later, she became a member and teacher at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Kerrville; St. Luke's Episcopal Church, San Antonio; and St. Paul's Episcopal Church, San Antonio.

A talented artist, Betty created needlework and oil paintings for family and friends. As a teenager, she played the violin with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Betty was also a member of the Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority.

She is survived by a daughter, Lynne Miller; three grandsons, Scott, Jeffrey and Kenneth Miller; one great-grandson, Morgan Miller; and many honorary "grandchildren", her beloved students.

The family would like to thank her caregivers Susan Farmer, Roy Johnson Jr., Dora Davis, Dalia Rios, Laura Lemkowitz, Louise Kinchen and the staff of Odyssey Healthcare for the kindness and compassion extended to her well being.