Betty Jean Neese

Betty Jean (Bain) Neese was born in Missouri on November 26, 1928. Her parents, Willie Lorena (McCormack) Bain and Olin Bain, relocated to Michigan in 1939, where she grew to young adulthood. There she met the love of her life, Dwain Joy Neese, and married him on September 13, 1947. Their son, Ronald Dwain Neese, was born in November 1948, followed by another son, Richard William (Rick) Neese in September 1952.

In 1954, the young family moved west to California, settling in Garden Grove. In April, 1957, Betty joined the growing Disney family, working as a ticket seller at Disneyland, which had opened just two years prior. Starting part-time, she went on to become a full-time Disney “cast member.” She eventually became lead ticket seller at the main gate, a position that carried a lot of responsibility, and continued in that role until her retirement in November, 1990. In the meantime, the Neeses had relocated two more times – first to a townhouse in Anaheim in the mid-1960s, and then, as empty-nesters, to a house in Yorba Linda in 1979. After retirement, Betty and Dwain moved to their Fairway Villas home in Sun Lakes (Banning, CA), with a patio overlooking the 8th hole of the golf course, living the retirement dream! Both of them spent the rest of their lives in that house and loved it. Family members and friends enjoyed visiting them there, as well.

Once settled into their new home, Mom wasted no time diving into activities she loved and enjoyed. She became an active member of the Sun Lakes Garden Club and served as the club’s Historian for many years, photographing their events and activities and putting together an annual scrapbook documenting each year’s doings. She participated in exercise classes such as Aqua-robics and served for several years as EPAP captain for her neighborhood and on the board for her district, Fairway Villas. She was also a member of the Sun Lakes Friendship Club for several years.

In 2007, she became a member of Banning United Methodist Church, where she joined United Methodist Women and took an active role as a reader of the weekly Scripture portion in many Sunday services. She treasured her church family.

Betty was a very classy lady whose sense of style was commented on even by strangers on occasion, yet she had a spicy streak in her that made her very fun to be with. Some of her more staid friends would look to her to voice the little zingers they were thinking but were too shy to speak!

Betty was predeceased by her parents, Olin Bain and Lorena Bain, an infant brother, Russel Boyd Kirby, two stepsisters, Bobbie Lou Bain and Betty Sue Bain, her brother, Lonnie Bain, sister Janet Walker, sister Linda Glover, brother-in-law Doug Glover, niece Lore Glover, nephew Bill Glover, niece-in-law Elisa Walker, granddaughter Anna Neese Brown, sons Ronald Neese and Rick Neese, and husband Dwain Neese. Despite the sadness of all these losses, she retained her zest for life to the end. She is survived by daughters-in-law Virginia Neese and Rebecca Neese, grandchildren Erik Neese (Wendy), Stephanie Melin (Tony), Jeremiah Neese (Karen Adya), Karen Joy Field (Nathan), great-grandchildren Mackenzie Neese, Trevor Neese, Ashley Melin, Colton Melin, Leander Neese, Ceridwen Neese, Alexander Field, and Owen Field, brother-in-law Don Walker, and nephews Tony Walker and Edward Glover.

Although Betty lived to the age of 95 years, it still feels to those of us who love her that she is gone too soon. We would always like one more visit, one more cup of tea, one more family gathering, one more holiday…yet we are confident that she is now enjoying a time more wonderful than our imagining in the presence of God and her loved ones. Godspeed, Mom – see you down the road!