Ray W. Betts

Mrs. Betts grew up in Windsor, NC, the daughter of John F. Williams and Doris Jenkins Heckstall. Following graduation from Women's College, now UNC-G, she married and mothered four children, Don, Marianna, Richard, and Kathy, and suffered the loss of her son, Richard, to cancer on April 3, 2015. Also preceding her in death were her siblings Norman Williams, William Heckstall, Barbara Heckstall Proctor, and Don Williams, as well as a precious little grandson, Bani Christopher Betts.

Lifelong memberships in the Daughters of the American Revolution and La Histoire Book Club gave her a tremendous wealth of friendships, along with many friends in Myers Park Baptist, Calvary, and Central Churches. For ten years in the 1970's and 1980's she applied herself to selling real estate for the Driscoll Agency along with her former college classmate and lifelong friend, Jo Powell.

Being the wife of a JA Jones Construction Company Vice President afforded her the opportunity to travel the world several times, making many friends along the way. She even made a home for her family in Tehran, Iran during 1960-1961, which engendered a profound respect for different ethnic cultures. She learned the Persian language and was fluent at the fourth-grade level, which she enjoyed practicing - especially at Persian Carpet stores.

Among her greatest legacies were her faithfulness, determination, and humor.

Other gifts she passed on to her children were a deep love of learning and books, architecture, painting, homemaking, and gardening.

A member of Myers Park Country Club since 1963, she benefitted from the longtime friendships made there, especially with her bridge partners. Also, for 55 years she enjoyed traveling to Ocean Isle to visit the beach house she and Barton had built.

The family is grateful to her friends and neighbors for their loving emotional support, which helped her to remain in her own home of 47 years.

In addition to Don, Marianna and Kathy, Mrs. Betts is survived by her grandchildren Julie, Chrissy, Bart, and Jiva; great grandchildren Parrish, Belle, Ethan, Collin, Elisabeth, Ellery, Bess, Llewyn and Ezra; brothers John F. Williams III and Bruce Williams; brother- and sister-in-law Bruce and Tissie Betts; and cousins Anne Hedgecoth and Jerome Williams; as well as nieces and nephews were like children to her: Laurie, Claire, Keenan, Jonathon, Michael, Scott, Shell, Colette, David, Liz, Andy, and Barry, Wade, Jimmy, Cassie, and Betts.

A celebration of her life will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, June 16 at Harry & Bryant’s “Chapel in the Oaks”, 500 Providence Road. Her family will receive friends at the funeral home following the service.

Memorials can be made to Hospice and Palliative Care, Charlotte Region.