Betty Jane Lyons of Edmonds, Washington died peacefully at Swedish Hospital in Edmonds on March 12, 2011. Betty, age 86, was surrounded by her loving family when she passed away. She will be missed tremendously by all who knew and loved her.

Betty was born in Casper, Wyoming on August 19, 1924 to Frederick and Etta Reinhart. The youngest of seven children, she was preceded in death by her parents; her husband – James; her three brothers – David, Frederick and Charles, her three sisters – Florence, Winifred, and Patricia; her granddaughter - Alisa.

Betty is survived by her six children – Michael (Joan), Thomas (Vikkie), David, Lizanne (Jim), James (Connie), and Tami (Jeff); eight grandchildren – Kristina, Kenny, Kara, Emily, Daniel, Seth, Cameron, and Curran.

Betty spent her childhood loving her large extended family and the great outdoors in Sheridan, Wyoming and the surrounding countryside. To the end, Betty loved to tell of her adventures with many of her 42 first cousins, riding her horse “Peanuts”, catching frogs, and skating on the river during the winter. She was a talented artist too, earning a separate art show in Sheridan, before she graduated from high school.

Upon graduation from high school, Betty’s sense of adventure took her and her mother to Seattle to live. She worked at the Boeing Airplane Plant during World War II - a huge jump for a Sheridan girl! During that time, she met “the only man I ever loved” and in 1948 married James Lyons at Blessed Sacrament Church in Seattle. Like her mother, Betty created a life centered on her family, with a love-filled heart big enough for everyone. She could make every day special, but birthdays and holidays became extravaganzas.

A memorial service to celebrate Betty’s life will be held at Beck’s Funeral House, 405 Fifth Avenue South in Edmonds, on Saturday, March 19, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. A reception will take place afterwards at the Edmonds United Methodist Church, 828 Caspers Street.

In memory of her generous heart, donations can be made to any charity that helps those who need it including the Washington Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis, the March of Dimes, or Global ADE, (a non-profit charity founded by her grandson, Kenny King, that builds schools in third world countries), at E-Scholars: Global ADE, University of Portland, 5000 North Willamette Boulevard, Portland, OR 97203.

Please share memories with the family at www.becksfuneralhome.com.

The Sheridan Press - March 19, 2011.