Betty Rickleff

1926 - 2017

Betty Rickleff, age 90, a longtime resident of Naperville, IL, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 11, 2017. Born September 2, 1926 in Rockford, Illinois to William and Ann Messer, Betty graduated from Rockford West High School where she was a member of the National Honor Society. She went on to Rockford College and graduated in 1948 with a B.A. in Mathematics and Elementary Education. Betty married Clarence E. Rickleff of Rockford and moved with him the fall of '48 to Lansing Michigan where he attended graduate school at Michigan State University. While there Betty obtained a 5th grade teaching position in the Lansing school system. The couple moved to Elmhurst in 1949 when her husband became employed by Argonne National Laboratory. While there, Betty obtained a teaching position in a one room Grade-school in Villa Park where she taught grades 1-5 and built a fire in a wood stove before school every winter morning. She always considered that her "baptism by fire" in her teaching career. In 1949 Betty and her husband moved to Naperville where they raised their family, and Betty taught 3rd grade in several Naperville schools for over 15 years. She loved the children and always gave special attention to slow learners. They and their parents loved her for it. During some of those years she was raising five children of her own. Her husband used to describe her as an Angel down here on earth masquerading as a wife and mother and teacher. The family was members of Grace United Methodist Church and Betty sang in the choir for over 50 years. In the early years she was a soprano soloist and sang at weddings and funerals. She loved to sew and made doll clothes for the grand kids. She made a couple of quilts and was a regular with the church quilting group, which makes a quilt each year to raffle off to raise money for missions. She was a member of the local chapter of P.E.O. She loved to travel. In the early days she would rush home from school for Easter vacation and the family piled in a packed car and pop-up camping trailer to drive all night for a week on the Florida beaches. She loved to play bridge and was sort of a natural golfer except for the putting part. In addition to all this, Betty was a great cook and creating a feast for 15 or 20 was not unusual. Her 10 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren were important to her. She always took a positive outlook on life and daily events, and it was evident in the way she thought and spoke and lived. She will be missed by anyone who knew her and was part of her life. Betty is preceded in death by her parents, William and Ann Messer, her husband, Clarence (Rick) and her brother William. She is survived by her loving children, Julie (Brian) Nocco, James (Debbie), Robert (Renee), Kathy, Kristine (Scott) House, and her beautiful grandchildren. Visitation will be at Grace United Methodist Church 300 E. Gartner Rd. Naperville, IL on Saturday, July 8, 2017 at 10:00 am, prior to the Memorial service at 11:00 am. Private interment at Abraham Lincoln national Cemetery, Elmwood, IL. This remembrance of life was written by her beloved husband Clarence Rickleff.