Elizabeth Betty Horvath

When Elizabeth Horvath walked into the room, those in her company felt a palpable energy. This was just one of many qualities Betty had and how she impacted those around her. She was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if she wanted to share in all of their experiences, revel in their lives, and celebrate their discoveries. Betty was tireless and seemed to have a boundless enthusiasm that served her well throughout her life.

Growing up for Betty was like one big burst of spontaneity personified. She would join in with friends and family in just about anything. Betty was born on May 13, 1955. She first greeted the world at Kurhaz PAPA ( Papa Hospital) in Papa, Hungary. Her Hungarian roots were always very important to her. Her parents were Ferenc and Maria Nemeth Horvath. Betty was very close with both parents. She talked to her mother very often and took her granddaughter, Destiny, to visit Rochester almost every summer. Before her father's death, she had a great relationship with him that was always full of laughter and jokes. Even when he was sick and recovering from surgery, she made sure he was still smiling and laughing. She spent the first year and half in Hungary and then immigrated to America with her parents and siblings, She spent most of her childhood and teenage years in Rochester, New York with her family. Betty was the middle child and incredibly close with her older brother Frankie. When one got in trouble, the other one did, too. She left New York at age 19 to come to Virginia with her sister older, Terri and her husband, Richard.

Betty's quick wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of people were traits that drew the admiration of others and served Betty well in her adult life. She had a great sense of humor and was a natural entertainer, able to keep the people around her amused with stories and tales. The jokes she cracked could be a little on the dirty side, but that was one of the endearing qualities we all loved about her. She was raised with 1 brother & 2 sisters. Frank Horvath, Margaret Horvath, and Teresa Laird. Betty and Frankie were like two peas in a pod and were always getting into some kind of trouble. The scar she had on her chin was from the time he tried to shut her head in a window! They truly did love each other, he even walked her down the aisle at her second wedding. Betty and her two sisters got along like most sisters; good time and bad times, but always there for each other. Eventually, there was another sister added when Frank married Linda, and she became just like one of their own. After Frankie's death in the late 80's, Linda remained as an important part of the Horvath family. Betty was a woman who was devoted to her faith. She grew up in a strict Roman Catholic home and went to Catholic school as a girl.

Betty's first husband's name is William Turner and he is the father of her son, Brandon. Betty and Bill met at a beach house party and he immediately caught her eye. He says she was his first love. They married in Rochester at St. John the Evangelist Church on March 18, 1978. Their small family also included some pets, Lucky & Pippen, the cats were the first. Lucky got his name because he sat in the box while they played Yahtzee one night and Betty rolled 5 Yahtzee's that game! Although their marriage didn't last, their friendship did. They raised Brandon as co-parents and got a long well. They also enjoyed doing things with the grand kids over the years. One of her last days was spent at his home for Father's Day. They enjoyed family time with Brandon, Christian, and Destiny, eating cheeseburgers and swimming in the pool.

Brandon Shaw was Betty's only child and she cherished him. Holidays like Halloween and Christmas were always a blast with a fun mama like Betty. Brandon participated in several different types of martial arts with his father as a child. He later went on to teach the same skills he learned to younger kids as a teenager. Betty and Brandon made frequent trips to Rochester to visit her family while he was growing up. Betty passed on her love of animals to her child with Lucky & Pippen the cats, Rusty the dog, and Ashes the cat. As an adult, Brandon and Betty grew into special friends. She backed him in everything he did, sometimes when she didn't agree. He got her colorful sense of humor and love for beer and football. Brandon loved to cook with her and for her. He will finish his Associates degree in Culinary Arts at Tidewater Community College in honor of their time spent in the kitchen together. Her favorite was a spinach, mozzarella, and tomato pizza he always made on her birthday.

Later in life, she was also blessed with two grandchildren, Christian Glynn and Destiny Renee. Betty was a big part of raising the kids for the past 12 years. Weekends at Grandma Betty's were very frequent and always fun. The kids loved her big house and the big yard where they could play and build forts. They were always in the kitchen cooking something good to eat. Betty made sure that the kids always had birthday, Christmas, and Father's Day cards and presents to give to Daddy from them. She was the kind of mother and grandmother that would give you the last dollar in her wallet and the last piece of a bread in the bag. She took Destiny with her everywhere when she was a baby. Work cookouts and children's Christmas parties, someone's wedding, or just an afternoon at the office. Destiny was well-know at NMITC!

Betty was uplifted by new ideas. New possibilities always seemed to excite her. These were traits which made her an exceptional worker. Betty’s primary occupation was working as a Civil Servant at NMITC at Dam Neck for thirty years. Everybody at the office knew Betty and she was always the life of the party at Christmas parties. They used to say, "She can make a Marine blush with her sick sense of humor and that mouth." Whenever there was a cookout, or children's party for Christmas or Easter, Betty was always there to help. She brought fun and laughter to the workplace and will be very missed by so many of her co-workers, including, Linda, Kathy, and Henry (her work-husband).

Betty loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, and she pursued numerous hobbies. Some of her favorite hobbies were gardening, cooking, watching football, drag racing, and Nascar, doing anything with the grandkids, riding motorcycles, and watching the soap operas she DVR'ed for the day. She had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. She could cook dinner, watch football, drink a beer, and take a smoke break outside, all at the same time! However, Betty's ever-present concern for others always took precedent. The thing she enjoyed the most was spending time with her grandchildren. They took trips to Southland, just over the North Carolina border for good food and treats. They had seasons passes for Busch Gardens so they could ride Apollo's Chariot over and over. Her and Destiny loved to go to Golden Corral for Saturday morning breakfast. Even just hanging out at home, watching a movie and eating popcorn; as long as her grandbabies were there, Betty was happy.

Betty found companionship later in life with Don MacKellar. They lived in the big house in Chesapeake together for 7 years and shared a life. They enjoyed working in the yard together or riding Don's motorcycles through the back country roads. They made two trips to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, riding the whole way there. She loved being on the back of the Fatboy with the wind in her hair. They had two cats that were their babies, Dakota and Cheyenne. Don will continue to take care of them the Betty would have wanted. He truly did love her and said he has some incredible memories of her that he will always hold close to his heart.

She enjoyed many things throughout her life. When it came to food , she enjoyed Fried Flounder and anything that Destiny or Brandon made. She had to have her coffee in the morning and a few cold beers after work. She enjoyed reading, especially "new-age" writer, Sylvia Brown. Betty loved "Short Circuit" and the Madea movies. She liked crime shows that CSI and NCIS, but she also enjoyed comedies like, "The Big Bang Theory" and "Two and a Half Men." Betty liked all different kinds of music, but her favorite band was Metallic. She also loved to relax to Bob Marley. Betty loved to garden and be outside. She had several different types of flowers & trees in the front yard, along with a Rose of Sharon that was grown from part of her father's plant from Rochester. She also grew tomatoes, green peppers, and cucumbers in the backyard during the summer.

Betty enjoyed watching her favorite teams at home from her big green chair. Everyone knew Betty as a HUGE Steelers fan. She literally yelled at the TV and jumped up and down for her team! She waved her Terrible Towel proud and wore her Steelers T-shirt on Sundays. She was a big Nascar fan who loved Dale Earnhardt Jr. She had a sweet spot in her heart for Dale Sr., but Jr. was the cute one! Betty also loved the New York Yankees. And of course, she loved her soap operas, Guiding Light, Bold & the Beautiful, Young & the Restless, and As the World Turns.

Betty Horvath left us on June, 20th, 2011. She passed away at her home in Chesapeake, Virginia. She was 56 years old. She died from natural causes. Betty kicked back in her favorite napping spot on the couch and just didn't wake up. She was preceded in death by her father, Ferenc Horvath and brother, Frank Horvath. She is survived by a son, Brandon Turner, his companion Mandi Leedom, and his father, Bill Turner, her mother, Maria Nemeth Horvath, two grandchildren, Destiny Renee Turner and Christian Glynn Chalk, two sisters, Margaret Horvath and Teresa Laird, a sister-in-law, Linda Horvath, her companion of ten years, Donald MacKellar and several nieces and nephews. Services were handled by Smith & Williams Funeral Home. Betty will be cremated and her ashes will be split between Brandon and other family members.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Betty. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate.. She had a knack for being clever, creative, and witty. For others, she was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, many others looked to her for inspiration, leadership, wisdom, support, and friendship. Elizabeth Horvath is loved and her smile and laughter will be missed by all the lives she has touched.