Betty Purcell Mullins, beloved wife, devoted mother and grandmother, was welcomed into Heaven on January 5th, 2025 at the age of 97. She was born in Norton, Virginia to Charles Ervin & Thelma Holcomb Purcell.
Betty graduated from Radford University in 1949. She taught high school in Big Stone Gap Virginia prior to being married to Cecil “Ray” Mullins in 1951.
Being a lifelong teacher at heart, she earned her master’s degree (Summa Cum Laude) in Education from Winthrop University in 1979. Betty’s greatest career accomplishment was serving as Department Chair at Rutledge College in Charlotte. She held the Chairperson role while also teaching & writing class curriculum for English, Secretarial Science, and Computer Science courses. Betty was an accomplished “stitcher” who showered her family with gifts of blankets and sweaters. She also was a highly skilled “puzzler” often doing the NY Times puzzles, various logic books and jigsaw puzzles.
She & her husband Ray joined St. John’s Baptist Church in 1955. Betty is survived by daughter Patricia Mullins Acuff (husband James Acuff deceased), Cameron Ray Mullins (wife Sheilah Heavern Mullins), and grandchildren Christopher Ray Mullins (wife Staci Margaret Mullins) and Johnathan Rush Mullins.
A celebration of life will be officiated by Rev. Dr. Dennis Foust at St John’s Baptist Church on Thursday at 11:00am at 300 Hawthorne Lane, Charlotte, NC 28204. The family will receive friends following the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to St John’s Baptist Church (at the following link https://onrealm.org/StJohnsBaptistC/-/form/give/now ) or the charity of your choice.
