Betty Jane Purdy

Betty Jane Purdy, 90, passed away Monday, June 25, in Celina. Her death occurred just 28 hours after the Sunday death of her husband, Don Purdy. Theirs was a love story that unfurled over seven decades and spanned two centuries.


Betty's health had been fading swiftly and she was staying in the Alzheimer's unit at Celina Manor. Because of Don and Betty's serious medical issues, they had not seen or spoken to each other in more than three weeks. However, their children are convinced that the two were somehow still communicating and conspired spiritually to leave the planet as simultaneously as possible.


Betty was born April 10, 1922, in Kankakee, Il., the daughter of Jacob and Lucille (Hays) Cline. Betty graduated from Kankakee High School in 1939. She eventually made her way to Miami, Fl., where she met Don at a servicemen's dance in 1944. He was a naval officer waiting for his overseas deployment during World War II. Barely six weeks after their first date, they decided to wed. They were of different faiths--Don was Protestant and Betty was Roman Catholic--and so were married quietly in the rectory of a Catholic church in downtown Miami. Earlier this year, they celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary.


After the war, Betty and Don returned to Ohio, where Betty worked as a secretary at Superior Coach in Lima to help support Don as he pursued his law degree at Ohio Northern University. In 1949, they moved to Don's hometown of Celina, where he joined a law practice and Betty continued work as an administrative assistant at New Idea in Coldwater and City Loan in Celina. In 1952, they built a house on Maple Street and started a family that grew to four children. She doted on them all, giving them enormous doses self-confidence, as well as feeding them many fantastic pies and cakes from her kitchen. Betty's ability to run the household and facilitate her children's activities allowed Don's law career to prosper.


Even so, Betty found time to join the philanthropic and civic women's clubs of that era in Celina. She was a 25-year member of Phi Beta Psi social sorority and served as the group's president. She also belonged to the Altrurian Club and the Daughters of Isabella at Immaculate Conception Church. She participated in two bridge clubs and played golf. She was active in the local Democratic party and often served as a poll worker. An outgoing woman, she also participated in local community theatre productions and loved organizing theme parties at her home and elsewhere. She never failed to draw a laugh when, during a particularly hectic or stressful moment, she would dramatically bring up the back of one hand to her forehead and proclaim: "God knows I try!"


Betty truly found her "show biz" calling, however, when Don retired from his law practice and the two moved to Ft. Myers, Fl., where they lived in a condominium golf development called the Hideaway. There, Betty organized a "Hideaway Follies'' amateur variety show of residents. It proved to be a huge hit. So when Don and Betty moved north back to Ohio to be near daughter Lisa's family in Sylvania, Betty took the same "Follies" concept to the Sylvania Senior Center in the Toledo suburb. Serving as both producer and director, she encouraged the center's carpenters and seamstresses to build sets and costumes for the "Follies," while recruiting others to star in skits and perform songs. The performances were all sellouts and Betty received standing ovations for her efforts.


Betty's two favorite things, however, were spoiling her six grandchildren and journeying with Don around the globe. They enjoyed cruising or flying to such places as Russia, the Holy Land, China and much of Europe. She loved to document the trips with photo albums. Before her dementia/Alzheimer's disease progressed, she was typing a memoir on her home computer that she entitled: "Who Could Ask For Anything More?"
In a different era, Betty and Don had been cautioned not to marry because of their different faiths. Instead, they used both those faiths to strengthen their commitment to each other. It is fitting that the two of them, who loved to travel so much, took their final journey together.


Betty was preceeded in death by her parents and husband. She is survived by her four children: Mark (Barb) Purdy of San Jose, Ca. Jayme (Jim) Karen of Dallas, TX. Lisa (Bill) Wade of Apple Valley, MN., and Michael Purdy of Fort Myers, Fl. Also surviving are six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.


A joint visitation for Betty and Don was held from 2-4 and 6-8 P.M., Thursday, June 28th. A Mass of Christian Burial was held for Betty at 10:00 A.M., Saturday, June 30th at Immaculate Conception Church with Father Ken Schnipke, officiating.


A joint committal service for Betty and Don was held at St. Marys Catholic Cemetery on Saturday following the Mass.

Memorial donations in Betty's memory may be made to State of the Heart Hospice, 230 W. Main, Coldwater, Ohio 45828 or to the Northwest Ohio Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, 200 E. High St., 2nd Floor, Lima, Ohio 45801.

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