Betty Jo Light

On April 30th, 2017, heaven was awaiting the arrival of Betty Jo (McClung) Light with a grand celebration like no other. Knowing this is a great comfort to her family whom she was surrounded by as she passed, and will miss her more than words can express.

Betty was the true definition of matriarch as she exuded the power of leadership by example to not only her family, but to all those around her. She was kind, gentle, loving, giving, funny, loyal, motherly yet very strong and held firm to her beliefs. Everyone who met her loved her and became her friend. She and her husband, Morris, gave a whole new meaning to “our door is always open.” Everyone was welcome at Morris and Betty’s “light” house.

Betty was born in the very early hours of July 5th, 1926 in the midst of fireworks in Bartlesville, OK. Her family soon moved to Texas just after her birth and when she was 3, they headed west ending up in the San Joaquin valley during the difficult times of The Great Depression. Her father was a hard worker and was able to settle the family in Tulare, CA until 1943. At that time they moved to Long Beach to work in defense, along with hundreds of other people during World War II. Betty, at age 17, began working in a small plant where she processed planes to be shipped overseas. The most interesting plane she worked on was called the Black Widow – it was a jet used for night fighting. Betty’s family was extremely patriotic with all 6 of her brothers proudly serving in the U.S. Military.

After the war, Betty worked briefly at Proctor and Gamble Co. until 1948 when she went back to school at Lee College in Cleveland, TN. After one term, she took a job with Douglas Aircraft Co., being the first girl to be hired in that department in 8 years. She worked there until her marriage to the love of her life, Morris, in 1952.

Soon after the wedding, they moved to Yakima, WA where they began their family and settled in. Betty worked for Snyder’s Bakery for 22 years until her retirement in 1986. When Morris retired in 1988, they took their time traveling. They joined a group called Mobile Missionary Assistance Program which they enjoyed very much. They traveled all over the U.S. with a group working on churches, Christian camps, conference centers and schools. After 5 years with MMAP, they decided to settle back at home to spend time with their children and grandchildren who were their pride and joy and they missed very much.

They had a wonderful life together for 61 years. After Morris passed in 2013, Betty found comfort in friends, old and new, keeping active and spending time with her family. She traveled to Sweden in 2014, stayed active in her church, Christian Life Center Church of God, was a founding member of Fieldstone Orchard West, and was the hippest and most independent 90 year old you’d ever met. Up until a week before her passing, she was still driving herself to get her oil changed, auto glass replaced, preparing to plant her new pots, attending church activities, facebooking and talking about the next family gathering to plan for this summer.

She is survived by four children, Pastors Sharon (Mike) Lyon of Yakima, Melvin (Linda) Light of Yakima, Clayton (Lynn) Light of Napa Valley, CA, George Light of Yakima, and son-in-law Dr. Stephen (Beth) Younker of Yakima. She had 17 grandchildren and 27 great grandchildren who were her pride and joy. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Morris Light in 2013, her daughter, Sandra (Light) Younker in 1986, her parents and 8 siblings.

Viewing will be held on Wednesday, May 3rd from 5-8 PM at Keith & Keith Funeral Home. Burial will be Thursday, May 4 at 10 AM at Terrace Heights Memorial Cemetery, with her Celebration of Life following at 11 AM at Christian Life Center Church of God in Yakima, WA. To share a memory of Betty please visit www.keithandkeith.com.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the ICU nurses at Memorial Hospital, the staff at Cottage in the Meadow who took such wonderful care of her, her lifelong friends of Christian Life Center Church of God, and her community of friends at Fieldstone Orchard West. All have been so supportive and comforting to her family.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Betty’s name through Christian Life Center or Open Bible Church to go towards mission projects.

“Death is not extinguishing the light - it is putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.”