Betty Jo Carlson

Betty Jo Blackman McCrea Carlson, 86, died peacefully July 4, 2011 at her home in Atlanta. All three of her children were by her side. She was born on May 9, 1925, in Lubbock, Texas, to Lee Lewis Blackman and Edith Jones Blackman. She had four brothers, all now deceased. She attended the University of Texas. She was a professional entertainer and volunteered at the USO. In 1946, she married John Thomas McCrea, a Naval officer, who became a Presbyterian minister. They had three children, Kathy, John and Dan, all surviving. The family lived in Atlanta, Pensacola, Lake Worth, FL, Galveston, TX, Miami, and again in Atlanta. They were married for 26 years. She was a professional interior designer in Hilton Head, SC and Atlanta. She married William H. “Bill” Carlson in 1977 in Atlanta. She helped Bill run Carlson Co., a material handling business started by Bill and his father. Bill died in 1995. She was a longtime member of North Avenue Presbyterian Church. She is survived by her three children and seven grandchildren. Visitation Friday, July 8, 6:00-8:00 pm, at H.M. Patterson, Spring Hill Chapel, 1020 Spring Street NW, Atlanta. Memorial Service Saturday, July 9, 11:00 am, at North Avenue Presbyterian Church, 609 Peachtree Road NE. In lieu of flowers, family requests donations to Atlanta Day Shelter for Women and Children, 655 Ethel Street NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30318. We love you mom.