White, Betty Jean's Obituary
Betty Jean was born in Reno, Nevada in 1961 and spent her early years in Huntington Beach, California. She was the daughter of Paul Ogden Bennet and Jeannette Lousie (Reid) Clark, and a big sister to Robert and Don Bennett and Tracy Clark.
Betty was always a hard worker and dedicated to being of service to those around her. She was an engaged student and served as Student Body President in high school. She worked as a waitress and bartender for much of her young adult life and went back to school to become a nurse while she had two young kids at home. She earned her Bachelors, Masters, and Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) license all while raising children, and often working long hours on top of her studies.
As a Nurse Practitioner she was deeply invested in her patients and their care. She developed a specialty in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and believed in the role Nurse Practitioners could play in improving patient experience. She used her knowledge and vision to help create and launch the Washington Gastroenterology Center for Crohn’s & Colitis. In 2014 she was awarded the Rosenthal Award for Patient Support and Care from the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America and was on the cover of a 2015 issue of Crohn’s Advocate.
Betty was also deeply invested in her children and grandchildren and loved being Grandma Betty to all. She threw a Halloween party for a number of years where she would don her witch hat and oversee party games and hand out prizes. She made many a birthday cake and quite a few Halloween costumes from scratch. In December of 2024, she surprised her grandchildren (and their parents) with a trip to Disneyland– which had been a dream of hers since her first grandchild was born.
She would often say she did the best she could with what she had. She was resourceful and took pride in exceeding expectations. She would show up for friends when they needed her to lend a hand or attend an appointment or hold a new baby or just to walk and talk. She was more comfortable providing care to others than accepting it herself even over the decades of cancer diagnoses and recurrences and treatments.
Betty is survived by her husband of 35 years, David; her two children Aimee Craig (husband, BJ) and Amanda Vanscoyoc (husband, Marcus); her adored grandchildren (Bryson and Addyson Vanscoyoc; Ben and Milo Craig); and her step-children Joshua White and Ashlyn White and their children and partners. She is also survived by her aunt, Betty Adams whom she was named after.
A memorial will be held on November 8th at 1pm at Environmental Services Building at Chambers Creek Regional Park (9850 64th Street West, University Place, WA 98467). In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.
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