Betty Jo Loper, 88, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, June 18 in Taylor, Arizona, surrounded by loved ones as she was granted access to be with our Heavenly Father and reunited with those who have passed on before her.
Betty was born May 17, 1932, in Broughton, Illinois to Bernice G. and Eugene T. Wooldridge. Betty was the middle child, coming from a hard-working and loving family. She went on to graduate and receive a Bachelor’s degree from UCLA. At the age of 23, Betty met the love of her life, Lee Loper, at a square dance. In Betty’s words “He was a great dancer. There was just somethin’ different about Lee.”
They both shared a deep and powerful love for each other, and married on November 9, 1956. After relocating from California to Taylor, Arizona, they were blessed with 3 children: Greg, Lisa, and Sheri. Betty was an avid reader and would spend countless hours juggling 2-3 books at one time, in between working on her 1,000-5,000-piece puzzles and any crossword, seek and find, or Sudoku puzzle she could get her hands on. Betty constantly worked on things that would keep her mind sharp and loved educating herself on many different topics.
Betty lost the love of her life, her husband Lee, on December 17, 1995. Although a piece of her heart was broken after Lee’s death, her heart was partially mended with the help of 3 little angels, her grandchildren; Sheyenne, Jakob and Zach. Another little angel came around to help with the finishing touches of repairing Betty’s broken heart, her “fur baby” kitty Max, who is now living in Idaho with Lisa.
She is survived by her children, Greg Loper (Amy Gabaldon) of Peoria, AZ; Lisa (Jay) Crutchfield of Meridian, ID; and Sheri Loper (Bob Beckman) of Lake Havasu, AZ; along with 3 grandchildren, Sheyenne Birdsong of Show Low, AZ; and Jakob Lancaster-Loper and Zachary Lancaster-Loper, both from Peoria, AZ. She is also survived by her brother, Eugene (Rhoda) Wooldridge of Marion IL; her niece Pam (Wooldridge) Boester of Marion, IL; and, her nephew Richard Watkins of Cayucos, CA. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Lee, and her sister, Grace Watkins.
Arrangements were handled by Silver Creek Mortuary in Taylor, AZ. A private ceremony to honor Betty will be held later this year.
The family would like to thank the phenomenal staff at Summit Health Palliative Care and Accord Hospice for their great service.
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