Betty Dobson St. Clair passed away on Monday, January 11th, 2016. After a brave battle with various health related issues she finally succumbed to them and passed away at Ivinson Memorial Hospital in hospice care. As in life – so she was in death – strong willed to the end.
Betty was born in Hoopeston, IL, on July 13th, 1920. She went to Gallagher School in Kankakee, IL and graduated with a degree in Secretarial Sciences. Upon her graduation she moved to Champagne-Urbana where she secured employment at the University of Illinois. She met her husband-to-be, James St. Clair there. She worked in the office of the building where Jim was a graduate student. They fell in love and married on June 12, 1942, prior to Jim’s deployment overseas with the Army-Air Corps. Betty moved to Jim’s hometown of Claremont, CA and lived with Jim’s parents while he was overseas. Instead of idly waiting, she served with the WAVES during World War II.
After their three children were raised, Betty acquired a position at University of Wyoming. She worked as a secretary for the Air Force, ROTC Department, where she was steadily employed and promoted from 1973 to 1984. She returned back to work from 1986 to 1989 on a part-time basis in Records & Registration.
She was a true Renaissance woman and always a lady in the true sense of the word. Her passions were the theatre, art and dancing. She was a painter and a voracious reader when her Bridge Club did not supplant these hobbies. She was an avid genealogist and had traced her family lineage back as far as she could by actually visiting ancestral locations. Her love of travel fit in nicely with this and she was a member of the Laramie Travel Club. She loved to fish and would happily spend hours looking at the bobber waiting for that fish to bite. When her beloved husband, Jim was alive they traveled, hiked and even tried living in other areas of the country, but always returned to Laramie. She would start her mornings with a cup of tea and the latest Sudoku puzzle.
Betty was proceeded in death by her much loved husband, UW Professor James St. Clair.
She is survived by her daughter, Virginia Jill Bennett (husband Tom), her son, John St. Clair, and her son David St. Clair (wife Deb). She is also survived by her granddaughter Gretchen Kimble (husband Geoff) and her grandson James St. Clair (wife Shihee) as well as five great-grandchildren.
A time to come and speak with the family has been scheduled between 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, January 16th at Montgomery-Stryker Funeral Home
Services will be Monday, January 18th at 10 a.m. at Montgomery-Stryker Funeral Home, with a short graveside service following at Greenhill Cemetery.A reception will be held at the Fraternal Order of Eagles at 126 E. Lyons St., Laramie, following the graveside services.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of Laramie Building Fund, 710 Garfield #339 Laramie, WY 82070.
I have often thought of Jim and Betty fondly. They were always warm and welcoming toward me and accepted me into their lives. Much love to them and theirs. All is well. Mary.