Mary Elizabeth Callison

1919 - 2010

Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Callison 1919 - 2010 Betty Callison, 91, was born to Hermann H. and Mary B. Young in San Francisco on April 24, 1919. She attended academic Lowell High School in that city followed by a 1941 graduation from UC Berkeley, where she met her future husband Gordon M. Callison. With the advent of World War II, she embarked on a 25 year career as a Navy wife, bearing two sons and sharing her husband's life and travels on tours of duty to the East and West Coasts, Hawaii, and Spain. Shortly after Gordon's 1967 Navy retirement, he became the first business manager for what was then California State College, Bakersfield. Both Betty and Gordon enjoyed putting down roots in Bakersfield in the years prior to his second retirement in 1982 and subsequent passing in 1985. It was then that she began a rich and rewarding life at Rosewood Retirement Community, devoting thousands of volunteer hours marked by personal caring and outreach to both residents and staff. Near the end, her passing on Tuesday November 9th was peaceful and full of faith and grace, with her family and pastoral care by her side. While her son Jim preceded her in death, she is survived by son Rick and by the grateful thoughts of those who were blessed to know her. A Memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, November 20th, at Rosewood, 1301 New Stine Road, Bakersfield. www.bakersfield.com/obits