Betty Buchan Monsour

1949 - 2016

On Jan. 5, 2016, Dr. Betty Buchan Monsour of St. George, Utah, passed away peacefully and returned to her Father in Heaven after a courageous battle with cancer. Born on April 6, 1949, in Yokohame, Japan, Betty was the daughter of Major H. M. Buchan (Army Ret.) and Ida Caslar. She is survived by her loving and devoted husband, the Rev Dr. John V. Monsour. Other survivors include two sisters, Brenda Buchan Hatch and husband Tracy of Tallahassee, Fla., and Beverly Buchan Pelham of Graceville, Fla.; two nieces, Kimberly Pelham Tindall of Graceville, Fla., and Angela Pelham Thompson and husband Charles of Windermere, Fla.; and three great-nieces, Lauren Henderson, Tiffanie Tindall and Alizah Thompson. Growing up in a military family, Betty's early years were spent on Army bases in Georgia, North Carolina, Texas and Berlin, Germany. A graduate of Choctawhatchee High School in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry as well as Master of Science Degree in Toxicology from the School of Pharmacy at Auburn University and a Doctor of Philosophy in Epidemiology from the College of Public Health, University of South Florida. In 2014, Betty retired from the University of Alaska, Anchorage as an Assistant Professor of Public Health in the College of health and Social Welfare. Prior employment included serving as Research Director at the Southcentral Foundation, Anchorage, Alaska, as well as the founder and president of Final Analysis, Inc., a forensic consultant firm. She also served as the Director of Forensic Laboratory Services for the Hillsborough County, Florida Medical Examiners Department. Betty also spent ten years with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement as Toxicologist and Supervisor of the Sanford Regional Crime Laboratory in Sanford, Fla. She began her career in Tallahassee, Fla., as Staff Director of the Medical Examiner's Commission and Chief of the Crime Laboratory Bureau, and was an original Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) before the television shows. Later in her career she developed research interests in the area of drug impaired driving, elder drug abuse, medication management for seniors and testifying as an expert witness at legal proceedings. Dr. Monsour was a member of the Delta Omega Honor Society in Public Health, the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and the Rho Chi Pharmaceutical Honor Society. She was honored to be the first woman and youngest person to receive an appointment to the rank of Bureau Chief, State Crime Laboratory Bureau, Florida Department of Law Enforcement. An ordained elder in The Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., Betty balanced her professional duties and responsibilities with a love of traveling the world; reading mystery novels; ballroom dancing; and most of all being a lifelong and passionate lover of all things feline. The family requests that all gifts and memorials be in the form of donations to Best Friends Animal Society, bestfriends.org, in Kanab, Utah. Services and interment will be private.