OBITUARY Betty Austin December 7, 1934 – November 28, 2018 Play Tribute Movie Betty Ellen Pearson Austin, 83, of Concord NC, passed away November 28, 2018. Born in 1934 in Charlotte NC, Betty was the treasured daughter of the late Marion Farmer and Betty Lee Pearson. She was preceded in death by her younger brother, Bill.
Betty was a graduate of Central High School in Charlotte where she met her soul mate, Larry. After graduating from Mars Hill College in 1955, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Appalachian State University in 1957. Betty continued her education by earning her Masters Degree in 1981 from the University of North Carolina – Greensboro.
After graduation from college, Betty married her beloved Larry on August 25, 1957. After a short time in Texas while Larry attended seminary, they settled back home in North Carolina to raise their three sons. Betty became active in the churches that her husband served as minister of education.
She taught in Sunday school and Vacation Bible school, always with children. After retiring, the couple joined the First Baptist Church of Kannapolis, where she served as secretary for her Sunday school class for a number of years. Betty had a rewarding career as a first grade teacher in the North Carolina public school system.
She loved her students as if they were her own and kept the special mementos given to her by her students over the years. Even after retiring, Betty returned to the classroom as a volunteer reading teacher in the Concord school system. Betty had an adventurous spirit, and she loved to travel.
Although she was partial to Hawaii, she traveled to Alaska, Canada, Europe, South America, Mexico, and all across the United States, taking her boys on numerous camping trips up and down the East coast. Betty was a caretaker, and she always thought of others before herself. Being a kid at heart, she loved playing at the beach with her grandkids, building pillow forts, and ruthlessly winning at Canasta.
She was also a lifelong supporter of the Democratic party and was always ready for a debate. In March of 2018, Betty and Larry moved into the Taylor Glen Retirement Community in Concord. After breaking her hip in August, she moved into the health care unit where she lived until her death.
The family is very grateful for all the care provided by the nurses and therapists over the last few months. Left to treasure her memory are her husband, Larry, her sons Steve (Denise), Randall (Janet), and Bruce (Lynda); grandchildren Laura Favitta (Jeff), Bryan Austin, Rachel Delk (Dakota), Martha Austin, Jacob Austin and Hannah Austin; great-grandchild Adelind Delk; her brother, Jeff Pearson; her much-loved in-laws Tom and Freida Conkle, Bob and Charmaine Gibson, and Bob and Jackie Criminger. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews, whom she adored.
A celebration of her life will take place on her birthday, December 7, 2018 at First Baptist Church, 101 North Main Street, Kannapolis, NC 28081. The family will receive friends at 2pm, and the service will begin at 3pm. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the First Baptist Church Building Fund at the above mentioned address.
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