Betty Josephine Coit

Betty attended Bel Passi and Jones grammar schools in Modesto and graduated from Ceres High School in 1948. She also attended Modesto Business College. Growing up as a child, she along with her sisters, Alice Coito and Lorraine Freitas, helped their ma and pa on the dairy milking cows and doing chores. Her pastimes growing up included going to movies, dances, and Portuguese festas. During the Korean War, as was with others state-side civilians, she was a pen pal to soldiers. Prior to marriage in 1953 to Frank Coit, her employers were the Modesto Bee and Sharpe Army Depot. While raising her children, she returned to work as a school bus driver for Ceres Unified School District for 27 years transporting students to school, field trips, and sporting events. Betty logged in thousands of miles not only in the school bus but also in the hay truck on the farm and shopping for bargains. She was competitive in participating in School Bus Roadeos. Betty will be remembered in her garden with a rake, hoe, or shovel in hand tending to her vegetable garden, roses, iris, cannas, and those darn weeds. Her passion was gardening and many family, friends and neighbors have divides of her iris and cannas, passing on her love for gardening to others. She was an avid canner and put up many quarts of jams, jellies, peaches, apricots and home-cured olives. During the holidays, the family drooled awaiting her homemade pies, especially the lemon meringue. Betty was preceded in death by her husband Frank, son Glenn, and parents. She is survived by daughters Linda Coit-Ayala (Dan), Diane Coit, and sons David Coit, Roger Coit (Mary), and Garry Coit. Also, four grandchildren, five great grandchildren, many extended family members, and her chihuahua Rocky. Betty’s family expresses their sincerest gratitude to Community Hospice, Right-At-Home, and personal caregivers.

At Lakewood Funeral Home 900 Santa Fe Ave, Hughson; Heritage Chapel, visitation is February 1, 2021 at 1:00pm - 4:00pm and funeral service is February 2, 2021 at 10:00am. Face masks required. The family is requesting that in lieu of flowers a donation be made to Community Hospice, 4368 Spyres Way, Modesto, CA 95356 or a charity of your choice.