Betty Ailene Garmon, 71, of Bartlett, Tennessee, passed away on Saturday, January 11, 2020, surrounded by loved ones. She was born on December 28, 1948, in Memphis to the late John and Lucille Long. Visitation will be Thursday, January 16, from 6 P.M. to 9 P.M. at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, 3700 North Germantown Road, Bartlett, TN 38133. A funeral service will be held on Friday, January 17, at 2 P.M. The burial will follow at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens. Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Robert “Bob” Garmon; sisters Lillie Gammel, Carolyn Sanders, Marion “Bookie” Curtis; brothers, Jack Long and Bill Long; grand-sons, Walter Cooper III and Walter Thomas Cooper. She is survived by one brother, Johnny Long; one sister, Barbara “Perky” Rickman; two daughters, Melissa (Walter) Cooper and Kim (Brady) Hummel; two sons, Raymond Sutton and Ty (Amy) Garmon; eight grandkids: Devanie Cooper, Cannon Cooper, Rocky Cooper, Dinah Anderson, Malachi Anderson, Ayden Garmon, Nick Garmon, and Emily Pomakala; and one great-grandchild, Carmella Cooper.
Betty was a native Memphian. She graduated from Treadwell High School in the class of 1966. After school, Betty began her first job at the telephone company. Not long after, she worked her way up through the world of banking. She studied at the American Institute of Banking, was promoted to head teller at the Cloverleaf Branch of The National Bank of Commerce and eventually moved on into the Trust Department at NBC. It was there that she met her late husband, Robert “Bob” Garmon, and accepted her favorite job of all: being the best homemaker a family could ever ask for. Once her kids were grown, Betty sometimes worked at the Orpheum Theatre Memphis as a seamstress and stagehand. She also volunteered at The Moriah House and served as an auxiliary member of the Memphis Union Mission. She was a strong advocate for helping anyone in need. Whether it was a stranger or one of her relatives, Betty was blessed by her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and in the true spirit of Loving God and Loving Others, she did everything in her power to help those around her.
“Go, go, go for the Oreo!” was a common saying to her kids, who she raised to believe they could be and do anything they set their minds to. She was proud, as long as they were trying and doing their best.
Betty’s greatest joy was when the family was all together. Few things brought as big a smile as family splashing in the backyard pool. Proof of this can be seen in the photos she took on her iPhone, most of which are of visitors in the pool. Betty’s deep love and care for people made a lasting impact on many lives and her legacy will continue on as that care is passed onto future generations.
