Betty Lou (Larsen) Herbst

Betty Lou (Larsen) Herbst, 81, transitioned from her Earthly life on February 1, 2025. Betty was born in Pontiac, Michigan on March 11, 1943, the third of six Larsen siblings. She grew up in Keego Harbor, Michigan, graduating from West Bloomfield High School before moving to Detroit to attend Wayne State University. There, she met her future husband Anthony (Tony) Herbst, who predeceased her in 2017. One of her proudest accomplishments was finally completing her degree later in life, after raising her family.

Betty and her family lived in and traveled to many interesting and exotic places, including Indiana, Ohio, Calgary & Winnipeg Canada, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Germany, Minnesota, Texas, Finland, and New Zealand. She enjoyed seeing the world, embracing and celebrating diverse people and cultures.

Betty had the good fortune to live her dream of being a teacher. She taught math for many years in the El Paso, Texas area, mostly at St. Patrick Cathedral School, finishing her career at Loretto Academy.

Following her retirement, Betty spent countless hours volunteering with the Assistance League of El Paso in their Operation School Bell program. She took great joy in helping the underserved children in El Paso and was proud of the mission they fulfilled. Ascending from poverty herself, she had learned the importance of a hand up from her benefactors Lillian and Joe Friedman and honored them by giving back.

After 31 years in El Paso, Betty moved to Greensboro, North Carolina to live close to her two children.

She was preceded in death by her parents George F and Ivey Mae (Booth) Larsen, sisters Carol Judy and Edith Larsen, brothers Alfred and David Larsen, and her husband of 53 years, Anthony F Herbst.

Betty leaves behind her daughter Mya Herbst and son Geoffry Herbst, as well as her “daughter from another mother” Mayte Ayala. She is also survived by her sister Diana Penoyer, sister-in-law Pat Larsen, and several nieces and nephews.

Being an extremely nurturing person, Betty’s greatest joys were being a teacher and a mother. She had a special fondness for dogs and cats, and had many cherished pets throughout her lifetime, most notably: Liberace, Daisy, Grendel, Holly, and Bunnie. She had a quirky and fun sense of humor and was an eternal optimist, finding a silver lining in just about every situation.

She was loved beyond measure. Still is. She’ll be missed every single day.

We would like to thank Harmony at Greensboro, AuthoraCare hospice services, and Hanes Lineberry Funeral Home for taking great care of our mom, Betty.

In lieu of flowers, if you’d like to honor Betty, please contribute to ARPF, the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation (http://www.alzheimersprevention.org/), or any children’s or animal charity that you support.