Betty Lou Calvert Williams

Betty Lou Calvert Williams of Dallas/Mesquite/Houston, passed away peacefully in her room at Holly Hall Retirement Community in Houston on May 27, 2019.

She was born in November 1927 to George and Maude Calvert in Oklahoma City. Betty is a true Oklahoman. Her father, George Calvert, first arrived in Oklahoma in 1889 as a child during the Oklahoma Land Rush. He was later a First Lieutenant in World War I, commanding a machine gun company in France. Her mother, Maude Richman Calvert, was an accomplished career woman and mother with several textbooks, teaching at Columbia University, and raising three daughters among her many accomplishments. 

Betty met the love of her life, Arthur B. Williams, at Oklahoma University after his return from serving in World War II. Art asked her to wear his Phi Kappa Sigma pin and later proposed at the Oklahoma State Fair. They were married in 1947. 

Upon their graduation from OU, they moved to Dallas in 1949 and were able to celebrate 64 wonderful years of marriage before Art’s death in 2012. Until her last days, nothing made her smile like thinking of Art, the success of the Dallas Cowboys, and her Oklahoma Sooners — even though her three children all graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. 

Although Betty started her career while in high school as a secretary for her father, she found her true calling focusing her energy on her three children until they were grown and off to college. She was an exceptional and nurturing mother who was constantly leading PTA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and numerous other activities as her children progressed from grade school to graduation. She then seized the opportunity to work as a cashier and later as Textbook Manager at Eastfield College. She retired after 10 years to care for her mother. 

Betty was a member of Daughters of the Nile and P.E.O. Chapter AW. Art and Betty were active members of Lakeview Christian Church and then later Eastridge Park Christian Church. They were volunteers for the State Fair of Texas Torchlight parade for 35 years with Art driving a float and Betty handling crowd control along the route. Betty loved to travel and cherished their trips with Brother Dan Carroll to China, Australia, Israel and especially the cruise in the Mediterranean with most of her family. 

Betty truly loved Port Aransas where she fostered family traditions and gatherings that have continued for more than 70 years. She loved to look for seashells, feed the seagulls, listen to the sound of the waves and enjoy the view from their unit in The Pelican Condominiums. 

Her time at Port Aransas is reflected in many of her oil paintings — a passion she pursued for many years after retiring. 

Betty outlived both her parents and her sisters, Ann Calvert McCullough and Maudie Calvert. Betty leaves a legacy of love. She never stopped nurturing, and the love and support she gave to her family is a part of the tradition carried on by her three children, Kenneth, Carol and Curt, and their spouses, Theresa, Fred Clowe and Cindy. She further nourished the lives, character, and love of six grandchildren, their spouses, and her six great-grandchildren. 

Betty has taught us to always keep our faith and smiles. Those who knew her cherish her sweet personality and warm smile that were always present. 

Visitation will be on Monday, July 15 at 9 a.m., followed by a service at 10 a.m. These will be held at the Charles W. Smith and Sons Funeral Home, 2925 5th Street, in Sachse, TX 75048, 972-414-5050. Brother Dan Carroll will be officiating the celebration of Betty Williams’ life. Following the service, the interment will be at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas, 75211. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Scottish Rite Hospital or the charity of your choice. The family would like to thank the loving care Betty received from the Holly Hall Staff for four years and Seasons Hospice her last 18 months.