Betty Kingsbury Tuttle

Betty ("Boop Tuttle") Lois Kingsbury Tuttle, age 69, of Austin, Texas, will be missed by the many people whose lives she touched. There is not enough room here to adequately tell her story but we hope this tribute describes her spirit, as seen by those who loved her. Betty was born on December 28, 1938, in Austin, Texas, to William ("Bill") Kenneth Kingsbury and Vivian Lois Seekatz Kingsbury. When she was growing up, she enjoyed camping and fishing with her family. She was known to romp through the "jungles" of Austin with her sister and cousin pretending to be on a safari. She did well in school and enjoyed music, playing a wooden clarinet in the school band. She married Dwight ("Tut") Edward Tuttle, Jr., in 1957. They had four children and spent several years in England while Dwight was in the Air Force. After their return to the United States, the family lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for five years. Betty's time was spent raising her young children. In 1968, Betty and her family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. In her forties and after her divorce, Betty attended technical vocational school and obtained a degree in electronics. With her degree, she went to work for Phillips Manufacturing in a "clean room" making computer chips in the earlier days of PC computers. Everyone was amazed at what she tried and accomplished as she aged. In her late forties, Betty learned to wind surf and spent many summer weekends at Cochiti Lake and Conchas Lake windsurfing, as well as using her own board to teach others. She also learned how to snow ski and spent many winter weekends in northern New Mexico barreling down the mountain. She was fond of the many Indian ruins in New Mexico and enjoyed hiking through them with her family. Her children teased her by calling her "a real clown", because she literally was! Occasionally, Betty would appear at a birthday party or Vacation Bible School in face paint and a pink and black polka dot outfit, calling herself "Popcorn Patty". She loved giving candy to children as they gazed at her in awe. Betty fell in love the with hot air balloons. She looked forward to "chasing" balloons and attending the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta each October. She was never very interested in taking a ride in a hot air balloon, but she was finally coaxed into a tethered ride in 2007. After her short "flight", Betty poured out of the gondola and let everyone know it was enough for bragging rights and that it would be her final balloon flight. Even though she enjoyed Albuquerque and the beauty of New Mexico, Betty's heart always belonged to Texas, particularly the bluebonnets and Lake Travis. She returned to Texas in 1999 and bought property in Lago Vista. Though she did live there for a time, the house became a vacation home because her mother was aging and needed assistance. Betty moved back to her childhood home in Austin and cared for her mother until her mother's death in May 2008. Betty valiantly fought cancer for nearly a decade. She attended a Relay for Life event after her first mastectomy, believing she had beaten the disease. Unfortunately, cancer returned again and again, each time more fiercely, and at one time or another affected nearly every part of her body. But, Betty was a true fighter. She decided early on that she would not let the disease get her down. She participated in a cancer triathalon and fared exceptionally well for a woman in her sixties who was living with cancer. She was loved by her doctors, nurses and other cancer patients because she approached the disease with humor and grace. She was known to make jokes in waiting rooms, do dances in hospital gowns, and sing songs during therapies, much to the amusement of other cancer patients and their caregivers. Instead of moping about the disease, she had a hat party where her friends brought her various hats to wear after the effects of chemotherapy resulted in her baldness. The bucket hat became a regular fixture on her head but she was not afraid or ashamed to expose her baldness. She loved to make people laugh with a realistic Uncle Fester imitation. She would pop open her eyes, lift her hat exposing her bald head, puff her cheeks, and cross her eyes as though looking at the invisible light bulb in her mouth. It never failed to bring delight to all who were fortunate enough to catch the performance. Betty fought the disease harder than most but eventually cancer proved to be the stronger foe. She succumbed to the disease after her brain was invaded with multiple tumors. After her courageous battle, she passed away peacefully in her sleep at her childhood home on November 23, 2008. Her two daughters were with her praying for and comforting her in her last days. She was placed in her favorite Betty Boop pajamas for her cremation in honor of her nickname after and fondness of Betty Boop. Betty's father predeceased her in 1994, and her mother predeceased her in May 2008. She is survived by four children, Deborah ("Debbie") Jean Taylor, Dwight ("Bud") Edward Tuttle, III, Cynthia ("Cindy") Diane Pine, and William ("Bill") Kenneth Tuttle; ten grandchildren, Michael ("Mike") David Meaden, Roberta ("Berta") Jo Leddon, Matthew ("Matt") Edward Tuttle, Shannon Rose Barber, Don Edward Pine, Emily Anne Pine, Nicholas ("Nick") Michael Taylor, Stephen ("Steve") Wesley Taylor, Brennen Eggleston Tuttle, and Tres Lynn Tuttle; and one great grandchild, Brandon Michael Meaden Pine. She also is survived by her sister, Sandra Lee Kingsbury Harris and brother-in-law Sam Henry Harris; two nieces, Karen Kathleen Oliphint and Janey Suzanne Oliphint; four children-in-law, Michael ("Mike") Stuart Taylor, Tiffany Lee Eggleston-Tuttle, Scott Eric Pine and Debra Jeanne Tuttle; two cousins, Elizabeth ("Liz Ann") Ann Whitaker and Thomas ("Tommy") Edward Seekatz; her friend and ex-husband, Dwight ("Tut") Edward Tuttle, Jr.; her dog, Tipsy; and her cat, Echo. She was loved by many and will be missed greatly. Everyone who knew her was blessed and each has a wonderful tale to tell about Betty Tuttle. Boop Boop Da Boop!