Betty Tyler Wallace of Raleigh died in her home on Saturday, April 5, 2014. She was born in Greensboro, NC on January 30, 1932 to her parents James Madison Tyler and Dorothy McNair Tyler. The family eventually moved to Kinston where she attended Kinston High School. Betty exhibited her artistic abilities and multiple talents at an early age winning state-wide art awards, designing sets and playing the lead role for her senior play and cheering on the state championship football team as head cheerleader.
She received her bachelor’s degree in Art from Salem College in Winston-Salem where she continued her passion for the arts and made many life-long friends. After graduating from college, Betty married the love of her life, the late William (Buddy) Carter Wallace of Kinston. They began their 19 year marriage in the Bay Area of California. She loved her time spent “perusing” San Francisco as it delighted her artistic side and fueled her sense of adventure. She laughed often about introducing the Californians to their first NC country ham! After moving back to Kinston to start a family, they soon moved their young girls to Raleigh where Betty lived for the rest of her life. She became active in the Raleigh community and continued to share her artistic talents through creative floral designs, painting and graphic art. She was a member of the Junior League, docent at the NC Museum of Art and member of several social clubs, including the Carolina Country Club.
The untimely death of her husband, led Betty to begin her career with Bell’s Interiors, using her creative talents and love of interior design. As a courageous and hard working single parent, she founded her own company, Betty Wallace Interior Design, becoming a much sought after and respected designer. For 35 years she designed many fine homes, hotels and businesses. Her professional affiliations included the International Society of Interior Designers (ISID) and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).
Betty had an extraordinary artistic eye for color and an innate sense of style that made you want to live in her rooms beyond their durable years. Her sense of fun and joy in the pursuit of the ‘find’ inspired happy rooms for others.
Betty enjoyed collecting antiques, attending art shows, and painting with oils. Most of all, she loved spending time with her granddaughter Carter and grandson Tyler Chambliss, of whom she was so proud. Betty will be missed by her only brother, James Madison Tyler Jr. and wife Nancy, who live in Mount Pleasant, S.C. She is survived by her children, Dorothy Tyler Wallace of Durham and Terry Wallace Chambliss and son-in-law Joseph B. Chambliss, Jr., also of Durham.
We, her daughters, will forever be indebted to our mother for the loving way she devoted her life to being there for anything and everything we needed. We will always miss her wisdom, strength and sharp sense of humor. We will miss her every day.
The family would like to offer special thanks to the compassionate care and loving support of Jane, Katherine, Philomena, Rahab and Virginia of LekitaCare.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, April 10th at White Memorial Presbyterian Church, 1704 Oberlin Road, Raleigh, NC 27608. The family will receive friends in the Jane Bell Gathering Space at White Memorial immediately following the service.
A interment will be held Thursday at 10am at Westview Cemtery in Kinston, NC.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Hospice of Wake County, 250 Hospice Cir. Raleigh, NC 27607.
Arrangements by Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, Saint Mary's St. Raleigh.
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