Written on December 11, 2016:
Today is the 67th anniversary of the birth of my sister, Dr. Betty Jean Jones ~
December 11, 1949 ~ January 9, 1997
When I think of Betty, I see her leading; at home, school, in the community or church, she was out front, leading. She was full of ideas and put them to good use in the classroom, the theater and life ~ also her classroom. She was only 47 when she —and 38 other souls—perished in a plane crash in Monroe County, Michigan. At that time Betty was at the top of her game: working as a professor of American Theatre and Associate Dean of Rackham Graduate school at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor.
In 2004, my husband Rob and I created a small family foundation to honor her and my parents, Mr. & Mrs. Silas & Irene Gaines Jones.
To celebrate her birth I invite you to read this profile on a phenomenal woman we called: Beej ~
“Stay in the Process of life ~ it is not about the destination, it’s about the journey.” ~ Betty Jean Jones, Ph D.
Sending love to Auntie Beej and to you! xxo
Hi AJ, this is so beautifully done. I miss my beloved friend and think of her often–especially on her birthday. Take care—leigh
She was an amazing human and thand God for little sisters to keep the love. and power alive 😍💥🎈🎉
Dear Cous, While browsing amid the writers on my LinkedIn page, I saw the pic of my cous, & your sister Betty! I was entrailed as I continued to read-on! The beautiful story of a beautiful person{who is now our Guardian Angel}, made me feel very honored to have her as my Cousin! I Reminisced the time in 1977, you and I rode Greyhound from Atlanta to Greensboro, to see Betty perform in the play, Camino Real…after which we had an unforgettable fellowship with family, and friends, and a delicious dinner!! That was my introduction to the delicious Quiche that Betty made, as well the warm Apple Cider! Admist the snowy, cold winters night, there was a warmth all aglow in my heart, just being amongst my two lovely cousins, & their friends!! My admiration & love for ‘Unk’, Aunt Irene, and my Cous from Albany, Ga., was the subject of my conversation for years to come! I had been so anxious to meet this Great Uncle that my dad(Joseph), talked about so fondly, before finally meeting him in 1975! I will summarize my thoughts of such a dear one, as my Cousin, Betty, in the words of this poem! Sequel to ‘Stay in the Process’… Betty, you stayed, in the Balance, of Life, you finished your Course, you didn’t get what you got from the grapevine, No, you got it first-hand from the source, called Grandmother, Mother, Daddy, Educators, & Mentors; Your faith, perservence, and zest for life pushed you, moved you continously up the Kings Highway… Your expertise, your love for people,for creativity, is embedded into all our hearts, never to be forgotten, Oh, Yes, it’s here to stay!! I will never forget you Cous…the impact you left in my life…I remember you telling me in 1993, that I was “A high-spirited person”, that meant so much to me, you saw something in me that many folks could not see…still ‘Staying in the Process so diligently’… I am so thankful for others seeing the greatness in you, the sacrifices you made to get all who crossed your path, up and on their feet…you worked hard, believing in a just cause for everyone
poem, Sequel to Stay in the Process of Life continues. your students, friends, family, and eveybody that you did meet! I thank God, Cous, that the time you spent with us here was indeed time well spent…you are now our Angel, and I know in my heart, that you were Heaven sent! Love you always! Written by your Cous., Saundra. Anita, Tks for sharing a beautiful, well-written article! I shared the Mclesters’ Ansestry-history book with our cous(Dr. Shon Robinson), a few wks ago, as she is working on our families heritage for our upcoming JONES, SIMPSONS, HAWKINS, MOORES, & MCLESTER Family Reunion in July 2017..this writing about Betty would be perfect for her research on the Jones family! Will forward the article to her! Keep up the good works! Happy Holidays! Love, Sand.