May 5, 1949 – August 17, 2022
Rev. Dr. John W. Betlyon, 73, of State College, PA, passed away on August 17, 2022 at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth, MA. Born in York, PA in 1949, John was the only son of the late John Newton Betlyon and his wife Genevieve Gunderman.
John lived his life serving God. Ordained by the United Methodist Church as a Deacon in 1972 and an Elder in 1978, John served as the Senior Pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Hummelstown, PA from 2002 to 2012; as Pastor of Grace United Methodist Church in Centre Hall, PA from 1995 to 2002; and as Pastor of four churches outside State College, PA in 1977 and 1978. He also served as a campus minister at colleges and universities from Florida to Massachusetts.
John also left his mark in the academic community. The first in his family to go to college, John graduated from Bucknell University in 1971 before continuing his education at Harvard University where he received both a Master of Theological Studies and a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. He became an expert numismatist, working on numerous archeological digs in Israel, Jordan, Tunisia, and Yemen, and publishing scores of articles and book reviews on the subject. Since 1978, John taught a range of courses in religious studies and history, including at Lycoming College, Smith College, and Bucknell University. He also taught at the Pennsylvania State University for 22 years until he retired from teaching in 2017.
In 1987, John decided to serve God as a Chaplain in the military. He joined the US Army Reserves and, in 1989, moved to full active duty. One year later, he deployed to Saudi Arabia and Iraq with the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor as part of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In 2003, John deployed again, this time to Afghanistan with the 213th Area Support Group as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. He received the Bronze Star for his service in Bagram and Kabul. John retired from the military in 2009 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
He is survived by his wife Alexandra (Sandie) Ould Betlyon, DMD, and nine children: Seth Betlyon of Concord, MA; Elizabeth Francis Evans of Ash, Kent, UK; John Francis of Geneva, CH; Frances Betlyon of Acton, MA; David Francis of New Haven, CT; Virginia Francis Cocke of Rye, NY; Jesse Betlyon of Maplewood, NJ; Mark Mixon of New York, NY; and JanAlex Mixon of Chatham, MA. He is also survived by fourteen grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 1:00 PM on Sunday, December 11 at Trinity United Methodist Church in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John’s memory to the USO at https://www.uso.org/donate/memorial-donation For online condolences, please visit http://www.nickersonfunerals.com.
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