Betty Light

After a long a fruitful life Betty Jo Light passed away in her sleep on January 2nd, Saturday at 9:30 pm at Mayberry Gardens Assisted Living and Memory Care Homes. She was 86 years old. The cause of death was cardiac arrest.

Betty was born the youngest of eight children to Royal Williams and Mattie Williams (nee Cely) in Jacksonville, Texas on June 1st, 1934. She grew up poor but she loved school and she graduated the Valedictorian of Maydelle High School of her graduating class of six. She was offered scholarships to two colleges in Texas but was not able to attend either of them because they were still beyond her financial means. However, with a loan from her brother Lall, she did manage to attend a business school and was able to start her career as a secretary at a law office in Rusk, Texas. While working there she met Annie Light and when she moved to Dallas to work for an insurance firm, Annie told her about her sister Laverne who also lived in Dallas and they became roommates. While living there, Laverne told Betty about her brother who was in the Navy and asked Betty to write a letter to him. Although she hadn't even met him she wrote to him, and when they met later while he was home on leave a romance began and Howard Light eventually became her husband. They were married for 60 years until his death. They had one child, a son, Michael Light.

Betty later became the church secretary for the Second Baptist Church of Garland where she and Howard were both active members. Howard was a deacon and Betty taught Sunday school for several years. Betty enjoyed an active social life and loved organizing game nights with her friends both at her own home and at the church. She loved camping with her family, going to almost all 50 states in the family's camper. When her husband got a job traveling the U.S., she retired from her job at New York Life and traveled with him. Later, she and her husband became members of the Good Sam Club, a group of camper owners. In the last years of their life together, Betty and Howard both volunteered at the Friendship House at First Baptist of Garland.

Betty is preceded in death by her husband Howard Light; sister Thelma Alexander; brother Hernando Lee (Mutt) Williams; brother John Lall Williams; sister Dorothy Cegielski; brother Miles Williams; sister Celia Viel; and sister Eloise Rowland. She is survived by her son Michael Light, his wife Amanda, and their two children, Avery and Abigail.