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sereneThis morning, with her family surrounding her, Betty Rose Dudley took her last breath.
Betty described herself as a fat, working-class dyke from Missouri. She had a true generosity of spirit, and she taught me more about class issues than I can express. In the eight years I knew her, she never so much as raised her voice at me; our one dust-up was the result of my own rudeness. I feel grateful for the opportunity I had to provide some practical help to her in her last weeks, and I'm humbled by the love and care that she and Carol shared for 16 years. Betty's last few years were hard ones, but she still radiated hopefulness, humor, and incisive social awareness. So many people loved her. I am one of them.
I said good-bye to Betty in person, and I'm glad I got the chance. I'm sorry she never won the lottery so that she could shower gifts on the people she loved, because that's all she ever wanted to do with the heaps of money. And I'm sorry that illness deprived her of the ease that she deserved to have in her retirement years.
Betty leaves behind a family (blood, chosen, and extended) that loves her, and that pulled out all the stops to support each other in supporting her. I'm so proud to have known Betty Rose.
Betty described herself as a fat, working-class dyke from Missouri. She had a true generosity of spirit, and she taught me more about class issues than I can express. In the eight years I knew her, she never so much as raised her voice at me; our one dust-up was the result of my own rudeness. I feel grateful for the opportunity I had to provide some practical help to her in her last weeks, and I'm humbled by the love and care that she and Carol shared for 16 years. Betty's last few years were hard ones, but she still radiated hopefulness, humor, and incisive social awareness. So many people loved her. I am one of them.
I said good-bye to Betty in person, and I'm glad I got the chance. I'm sorry she never won the lottery so that she could shower gifts on the people she loved, because that's all she ever wanted to do with the heaps of money. And I'm sorry that illness deprived her of the ease that she deserved to have in her retirement years.
Betty leaves behind a family (blood, chosen, and extended) that loves her, and that pulled out all the stops to support each other in supporting her. I'm so proud to have known Betty Rose.