Betty Sue Bickerstaff

Betty Sue Mixson Bickerstaff passed away peacefully on March 28, 2024. She was born on May 12, 1935, in Valdosta, Georgia to Dr. Joyce Ferdinand Mixson Jr. and Elizabeth Stitt. She was the oldest of four siblings. In addition to her large family, her paternal grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all lived nearby. Valdosta was the perfect place for a small-town childhood. She and her family enjoyed riding horses, fishing at Lake Octahatchee, skiing at Twin Lakes, attending dances and Friday night football games.

She graduated from Valdosta High School in 1953, where she was involved in numerous activities and clubs. She played the saxophone in the band, sang in the Glee club and was a member of a popular singing Trio group that sang at various functions at school and around town.

Following high school, she attended the University of Georgia, majoring in English and was a member of the Chi Omega Sorority. A sorority sister introduced her to Burton Spraker, who was stationed at Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta. They soon married and moved to Oxnard, California and then to Jacksonville, FL in 1961. She raised her family in Jacksonville and was active in the community. Although she and Burton eventually divorced, she remained friends with him until his passing in 2022.

Betty Sue was a long-time member of Ortega Church (formerly known as Ortega United Methodist). She sang in the choir until she was almost 80 years old and was a member of a quartet singing group called the Sunshine Girls. In addition to her church involvement, she drove for Meals on Wheels, volunteered as a Girl Scout leader, was a member of the Colonial Dames of America and the Garden Club of Jacksonville, and played on the tennis team at Timuquana Country Club. She also became a Life Master in the game of bridge.

In 1993, she married John Bickerstaff. They traveled extensively around the country and to Europe. She and John had a large group of friends who enjoyed many fun activities together, including ballroom dancing, tennis camp and the Jacksonville Symphony.

Betty Sue will be remembered for her bubbly personality, funny sense of humor and love of singing and dancing. Most of all, she was a faithful servant of our Lord and Savior and a loving daughter, sister, mother, grandmother and friend, who will be dearly missed.

Betty Sue is pre-deceased by her parents, her husband, John Bickerstaff; her brother, Joe Mixson; and her brother-in-law, Bill Story.

She is survived by her sister Virgina Story (Bill, deceased); her brother, Skipper Mixson (Betsy); her son, Stephen Spraker; her daughter, Susan Harbin (Joe), her grandchildren, Andrew and Tindell Harbin, her stepchildren, Marshall Bickerstaff (Ursula), John Bickerstaff (Melissa) and Tricia Allegretta, (Tommy, deceased), their children, and her numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

A special thank you to the employees in memory care at Starling of San Jose and Hospice, who took care of Betty Sue with the utmost patience, kindness and compassion.

A service celebrating Betty Sue’s life will be held at Ortega Church in the chapel on 4/27/2024 at 1:00 PM at 4807 Roosevelt Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32210.