Elizabeth "Betty" Sands Fuller

holding the hand of her namesake daughter. Betty was at peace with the inevitability of her passing.

Productive to the end, she had run through her lists, made her calls, and done all she could to make sure that the people and causes she loved were on track and headed in the right direction. She is now ready to serve in her new home helping to organize those who need direction.

Betty grew up on a farm in Daisy, Georgia, and was the youngest of four. Her father died when she was three months old. Her mother, along with her older siblings, continued the farming operations. Betty was greatly influenced by the strength and work ethic of her mother, Sallie Sands. After graduating Valedictorian from Claxton High School at the age of 16, she moved to Knoxville, Tennessee to study and graduate from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Zoology. She then joined the second class of women to attend Emory Medical School. She transferred to the graduate program in biology after meeting Drew R. Fuller, the love of her life, whom she married in 1947. After 6 years in Boston, Philadelphia, and Charlotte, they returned to Atlanta in 1953 and spent the rest of their lives there. Together, Betty and Drew raised their three children (Elsie, Betty and Drew) in Atlanta, built businesses, and worked to improve their community.

Betty believed in being active and in giving her best efforts to any cause that she supported. In addition to her immediate and extended family, Betty put those efforts into the success of Hillside, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Franklin Pond, the Westminster Schools and the Rose Garden Club. Predictably, she rose to leadership roles in all of these organizations. Betty was the first female chair of the board of the ASO. She served her beloved symphony in almost every capacity - interim general manager, treasurer, president of the Junior Committee, as a tireless and relentless fundraiser, and Life Director. She served as president of the Women’s Association of Symphony Orchestras, on the Board of Visitors at Emory University (becoming the first female chair), chair of the board at Hillside, on the board of Franklin Pond, and vice chair of the Arts Alliance board.

When Drew chose to retire in 1983, Betty pursued a successful and active career in the travel business, cofounding Sterling Travel Inc, which is now the Atlanta office of Brownell. She remained active into her 90’s, last leading a performance tour of the Westminster Ensemble in 2015.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years and her son-in-law Ned Case. She is survived by her three children, Elsie Barnhardt (Bill) of Charlotte, NC, Betty Case of Atlanta, GA, and Drew Fuller (Nancy) of San Antonio, TX; her seven grandchildren, Keller Barnhardt Mulligan (Jim), William Barnhardt (Leah), George Case, Daniel Case (Catherine), Caroline Fuller Tompkins (Tee), Elizabeth Fuller Matthews (Watt) and Craig Fuller (Lena), her 12 great-grandchildren and a number of Evans County relatives.

Reverend Rebekah LeMon will officiate at a memorial service at 1 pm, November 16th at Trinity Presbyterian Church. Interment services will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (Attn: Development, 1280 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 4074, Atlanta, Georgia 30309) and Hillside (690 Courtenay Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30306).

Betty’s family is tremendously grateful to her long-serving doctor, Dr. Robert Coney, and those caregivers who helped Betty in her final few years, especially Lois Martin, Jaqueline Grant, Donna Stovell, Theresa Soukoury, Miriam Pratt., and Shay Brown.