Betty Jo Irene Grady was born on June 21, 1937 in Clarinda, Iowa to Kennard and Rose Goebel. The Goebel Family, including Betty and her two younger sisters, Wilma and Mary Rose, moved from Iowa to Kansas City, Missouri. Betty attended Manual High School, where she met her husband Charles E. Grady. They wed after her senior year in high school and were married for 55 years. Betty was a year older than Charles, and he often joked about how she signed his permission slips for school and how she attended Charles’s graduation in maternity clothes, expecting their first child. Charles predeceased Betty on May 18, 2011. Betty died peacefully on August 27, 2022, in Gilbert, Arizona.
Left to cherish her memory are her three children, Mark Grady (Sandra), Bev Moriarty (Ken) and Erin Alcaraz (Rick). Betty’s legacy included 7 grandchildren: Nickole Moriarty, Kathryn McTiernan, Desiree Odjick (Chad), Katie Evans (Jeff), Megan Brewer (Sean), Cearia White (Jeff), Mark Grady, Hailey Hershkowitz (Mitch) and Taylor Loomis (Tyler), and 13 great grandchildren: Ariel Kraeling (Brandon), Meghan and Caitlin McTiernan, Colin, Kali and Abbigail Odjick, Jack, Ben, and Lainey Evans, Josh and Hannah Brewer, Charles and Johnathen White, and Helen and Marian Hershkowitz. Betty is survived by her sister Wilma Gordon.
Betty was an avid reader and she loved to watch movies, especially musicals. She liked ice cream and enjoyed yard work and taking care of her plants. There was nothing Betty enjoyed more than shopping for treasures at the antique marts. She was quite a collector. She treasured spending time with her family and brought us all together whenever she could. In their younger years, Betty and Charles liked to travel with their family, and internationally once they were empty nesters. Having married so young, they were able to see many countries around the world together.
Betty walked nearly every day—even in the heat of the Arizona summer, and loved Fannie, her furry family, who is now in the care of her daughter, Erin. Betty was a progressive woman in the 60s and 70s who not only raised three children, but worked fulltime, cared for her elderly parents, and kept her family together while she did it. She worked as a trainer for the Unemployment Office in Colorado, an administrative assistant for a nearby school district in California, and an executive secretary for the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland.
Betty and Charles had adventurous spirts that drove them across the country, always seeking opportunities to enrich their lives and circumstances. They lived in Missouri, Washington, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Maryland, Colorado, California and finally Arizona, where they both have their final resting place.
Many will remember Betty as someone with a big heart who was always there for her family and friends. She donated to charities, especially the Native American schools, the Veterans, the Humane Society and other animal rescues/shelters. She raised her children to be grateful for all their blessings, to always make too much food—just in case there was an unexpected, hungry guest—and to be kind to others. She was beloved and will be dearly missed by all who knew her.
Aunt Betty as I would call her had the cutest giggle, I can hear it now. I remember how the family would come to Kansas City and how I just loved see her. I have often thought of her and she truly missed already. I love you Aunt Betty
I will always remember fondly when Charles and Betty came to Seattle in 1961 when Charles landed a job helping to construct the Seattle World’s Fair Space Needle. Charles was a great half brother who was always 100% “in” whenever we were together. Betty was always the one who dug in to what I was thinking and always made sure that there was something to eat! LOL. I am glad we took the time to take her out to lunch last time we were in AZ, and got a chance to walk Fannie with her! God Bless you Betty!
Oh my sweet friend Betty… There are not enough words to describewhat you meant to me. After moving to Arizona in 2004, just a month or so later she and Charles moved in next door to me. For several years we just waved in passing, or said hello from our driveways. She always was smiling, working in her yard, trimming trees. The years passed and after she lost Charles eventually she got Fannie and we began a close friendship. You see, every morning for years we would meet at 5am to walk our dogs together. It was a standing appointment and when my garage door opened, there she would be, waiting with fannie, rain or shine. We did it again in the afternoons in the heat! She rarely missed one of our walks. She was one tough lady for someone so small. We must’ve looked the pair, she with her little terrier and me with my huge Rottweiler. I miss her everyday and think of her so often when i walk my dog.
The talks we had, laughs and hugs we shared along with cookies, christmas treats, coffee and peanut butter on bagels. But her greatest joy and source of pride was the love she had for her family (oh how she loved telling me about them!) and showing me pictures of her husband, children, and grandkids, stories of her youth …. these memories are heartprints that will be with me always.
I miss you Betty, my friend, my “Arizona mom”. Rest in peace til we meet again.
Kathleen
Our neighborhood street will never be the same without Betty walking down it with Fannie. Our hearts hurt to know we will never see Betty join us on the sidewalk for neighbor conversations anymore. Betty was a sweet and dear neighbor. Love you Betty!
I went to high school with Betty and at Manual High from 1950 to 1955, we were good friends. I am very sorry to find out about her passing and offer my condolences to all her family (a fond memory) she and I were invited to attend Dick Clark show with Ella Fitzgerald guest, again my condolences I just found out today about her passing. Charles and were also good friends I was sorry to hear at his passing