Betty Lou Wilson Jeffrey

Betty Lou Wilson Jeffrey passed peacefully from this world on June 5, 2025, after a full 96 years of life. She was loved deeply by her extensive family, revered as a pioneering businesswoman and devoted philanthropist, and a cherished friend to all who knew her.

Betty was born in 1928 and raised in Louisville, Kentucky amongst a hard-working family that ran a successful multi-generational business, Anderson Wood Products. She attended Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, Virginia and graduated from University of Louisville with two B.A. degrees – one in History and one in English Literature. Her graduation present, a trip to Europe, was congruent with her sense of adventure and ignited her life-long love of travel.

In Louisville, Betty got a job as a secretary and met her first husband George H. Wilson. They were married in 1951, and in 1954, the young couple moved to New Orleans to expand the Wilson family business, R.B. Tyler Company. Betty played a supportive role from home until George’s untimely death in 1977. As a widowed mother of three, she went against advice to sell what had become Barriere Construction Co. LLC and officially got to work.

Betty was Chairwoman of Barriere for 15 years. She was motivated by the challenge of being a female executive in the construction industry during the 1970s and 80s, and she infused the company with family values while holding space for her sons to take over, which they eventually did.

Betty set the foundation for Barriere’s Culture of Care as the company became a leading contractor in the Gulf South. Betty prioritized the safety and wellbeing of employees - her signature achievement being a comprehensive safety program that, like herself, was ahead of its time.

Betty stepped away from day-to-day management of Barriere in 1994, officially passing the torch to her sons who established the company’s Betty A. Wilson Education and Safety Scholarship in 1995. She remained Chairwoman Emeritus until Barriere was acquired in 2021 after four generations and seven decades of private ownership and operation.

As a business executive, Betty channeled her influence into industry leadership. On behalf of Associated General Contractors, she liaised with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to institute the Road Builders Association On-the-Job Training Program. She was also integral to creating the alliance that still exists between Louisiana AGC and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In 2004, Betty was elected as an Honorary Lifetime Member of LAGC and inducted into its Hall of Honor.

Throughout her life, Betty shared her love of people and knack for building consensus with numerous charitable organizations. She was particularly inspired as a long-time Board member of the YMCA of Greater New Orleans and honored as YMCA Humanitarian of the Year in 1988. She was a Board member of Austin Presbyterian Seminary where the Betty Wilson Jeffrey Fellowship Fund and a faculty endowment fund were established in her honor.

For 40+ years, Betty was an active member and Elder of Lakeview Presbyterian Church where she met her second husband Neill P. Jeffrey Jr. They were married in 1989 and split their time between New Orleans and Black Mountain, North Carolina where they built a beautiful home and life together until Neill’s death in 1998.

Betty continued to split her time between New Orleans and her mountain home for the last decades of her life. She was surrounded by friends and family and remained active in Bounty and Soul, a wellness and educational organization that connects community through local food.

More recently, Betty became a member of St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church where many of her sons, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are active members. She lived out her final years at Christwood Retirement Community.

Betty was predeceased by her parents, Sidney and Mildred Anderson, brother, Sidney Jr., and two husbands, George Wilson (1977) and Neill Jeffrey (1998). She is survived by her three sons George H. Wilson Jr (Nell), Peter A. Wilson (Lisa) and Bertrand A. Wilson (Me’me’), nine grandchildren Amelie Sanders (Wess), Nancy McKnight (Bill), George Wilson III, Tristan Wilson, Matthew Wilson (Annie), Andrew Wilson (Hannah), Peter Wilson Jr. (Rosalind), Mariann Sengelmann (Robert), and Caroline Wolfe (Michael), and 18 great-grandchildren.

The family would like to give special thanks to Dr. Mark Berenson and caregivers, especially Kinyada Carter, Betty Batiste, Lisa Manuel, Alina Ventura, and Viviana Garces, for providing her with a comfortable life over the last years.

A memorial service has been planned for Monday, June 9 at St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church. Visitation will be held at 1:00 p.m. and service will follow at 2:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary.

In lieu of flowers and in the spirit of Betty’s life, please send donations to Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary or a charity of your choice.