Betty was born September 8, 1929 while the dahlias were blooming in Chilhowie, VA. She was the second of six children to Walter Osborne and Winnie Thomas Osborne. Her siblings proceeded her in death. They are: Beulah (Lorraine) Cregger, James (Buddy) Osborne, Mayo Stevens, Louise Osborne, and Preston Osborne.
At the age of 15 she met her very persistent husband, Harold Bradley Hart. They married a year later and shared 56 years of marriage until his passing in 2002.
Harold’s service in the Army took them from Virginia to Panama, eventually settling in Tacoma, WA. On this journey they had eight children. Just as the dahlias bloom in different hues during each of the children's birth months, so did they express the different hues of her bubbly, compassionate personality.
Betty left a lasting impression on everyone she met. Her wit, fire, and southern charm were the perfect mixture to make her everyone’s mom, grandma, and sister. Everyone in her path made it on her Christmas list. A holiday for which she happily shopped for all year.
Christmas was her favorite day of the year, a chance to see the joy she brought to each of her family members’ faces. The gifts were only a small gesture of her love - her wisdom, strength, and colorful stories made her the true family matriarch.
Betty loved crossword puzzles. Her favorite, found in The News Tribune, brought family together around the kitchen table collectively trying to help solve the final clues. What is the five letter word for “an indomitable force?” She might not know the answer, but her loved ones would.
Betty is survived by her children, Betty (James) Hook, Richard (Shelley) Hart, Jack (Ann) Hart, Nancy Hart, Harold Hart, Jr., Patricia (Peter) Diaz, Charlotte (Richard) Shenkel, and Linda (Luke) Huffman, 20 grand children, 28 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild on the way.
Betty left us when the cherry blossoms began to bloom. A symbol of the fleeting nature of life. There could not be a more fitting exit to this world by someone just as vibrant and influential as Mother Nature.
Services will be hosted by the John M. Taylor Funeral Home and held at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Annapolis, Maryland at 2pm on April 3, 2019.
Share your memories of Betty at mountainviewtacoma.com as well as johnmtaylorfuneralhome.com
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