Elizabeth Zitzo

Elizabeth Zitzo, known as Betty to family and friends, passed away May 16, 2016 at the age of 88 surrounded by those that truly loved her. She was born January 5, 1928 to Ira and Irene Connell in Hereford, Tx. Due to the great depression, the family moved to Yuma, AZ in 1933 where Betty started first grade at the age of 5. In 1934 the family returned to Texas and settled in Bishop, in south Texas. Her father worked for the Bishop news as a printer and soon became the editor and publisher. She and her sister worked at little chores in the newspaper office. Betty’s family made several moves during her school years, but most of her schooling was in Bishop before moving to Corpus for her last two years of high school. She graduated from Corpus Christi High in May of 1944 and attended one semester of junior college in 1945. She decided to become involved in the war effort and went to work as a typist at CCNAS. On February 23, 1946 Betty met a handsome Navy pilot, Ensign Frank Zitzo from Boston, Ma. They were married at the Catholic Chapel at NAS on May 5, 1946. They then flew back to Frank’s home in Boston, MA. Betty was terribly home sick so she encouraged her husband to attend A&I college in Kingsville. They returned to Texas that same year. Their first child, Phyllis, was born in April of 1948. When the baby was 18 months old, Betty went to work at the College as a secretary to the Director of Publicity until Frank’s graduation from A&I with a BS degree in petroleum engineering in 1951. They then moved to Shreveport, La for Frank’s first job. It was there that Mary, their second daughter, was born. There were several more moves that included Portland, Or and Watertown, NY, before returning to Texas in 1958. Their third daughter, Tina, was born in Houston in 1963. They moved to Corpus in 1964 and from there to Hastings, Nb in 1970. When Frank retired from KN Energies in 1989 they returned to Corpus Christi, first as winter Texans and then full time. Betty was a 5th generation native Texan. She was active in the DRT as well as the DAR. She had a close knit group of friends that she had known since 2nd grade. They were called the “Bishop girls” and got together regularly for many years. Betty was a home maker in the truest sense of the word and loved remodeling and decorating. She always enjoyed a game of bridge and supported her husband in his hobby of raising Arabian horses. Betty was preceded in death by her parents and husband Frank, who passed away in 2009. She is survived by her sister Eddie Jo Bazor; 3 daughters; Phyllis Storey (Ron Storey), Mary Dupont (Leland Dupont II), and Tina Hayes; 6 grandchildren; Michelle Dupont Zgabay, Jory Dupont, Jamie Freund, Gabe Archer, Joe Archer, and Tyler Hayes; and 8 great-grandchildren; Ashely Zgabay, Zoe Zgabay, Harrison Dupont, Greyson Archer, Chase Archer, Jack Archer, Bennett Archer and Sloane Hayes; nieces and nephews. Betty was fortunate to have the assistance of some wonderful caregivers in her last years; Georgette Lugo, Veronica Martinez, Mary Davison, and Lydia Nesmith. Betty will be laid to rest at 2pm on Tuesday, May 24th next to her husband at the Stockton family cemetery in Bartlett, TX where her great-grandparents, grandparents, parents and aunts and uncles wait for her.