ELIZABETH RUTH "BETTY" HENSLEY

1939 - 2014

Hensley, Elizabeth Ruth "Betty", of Brea, CA, passed away peacefully at home on July 18th, 2014 after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson's Disease. Elizabeth was born on July 12, 1939, in Huntington Park, CA, to Cecil and Ruth Robinson. Her family lived in Corvallis, OR & Miami, FL, before settling in Fullerton, CA in 1952.

Betty graduated with honors from Fullerton Union High School in 1957. She was an outstanding student and received a full academic scholarship to the University of Southern California. After graduating Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in English Literature and completing the elementary education program, she taught elementary school in the Fullerton Elementary School District for 24 years until having to retire on disability because of the advancing Parkinson's Disease. Betty especially enjoyed the challenge of teaching in the GATE program at Rolling Hills Elementary School and she served on several committees and assisted in developing literature and math units for the district. She received the Distinguished Teacher Award from the district during her career.

Betty was member of Pi Lambda Theta Sorority, the Stockton and Buena Park Duplicate Bridge Clubs, the Anaheim Apollo VIII Square Dance Club, the Disneyland Golden Ears Club, President of the Fullerton DeMolay Mothers Club(1983) and a 50 year member of Eastern Star in Brea, CA. As a member of the Placentia Presbyterian Church, she served on the Board of Deacons for several years. She was an excellent pianist, an avid reader, and enjoyed traveling, taking 3 cruises to the Caribbean, 2 trips to Hawaii and several trips to Oregon & Florida.

Betty married Ensign Sherman J. Hensley on December 26, 1963, at the Fullerton Baptist Church while he was on Christmas leave before reporting to the USS Kearsarge CVS-33. After her husband completed his active duty as a Navy Lieutenant at the Naval Communication Station at Stockton, CA, they moved back to Orange County and purchased a new home in Brea, CA and enrolled their son, Steven, in Kindergarten at Golden Elementary.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents Cecil and Ruth, her half-sisters Alyce L. Robinson & June Pearl Ledford, her brother-in law Wallace G. Ledford of Point St. Lucie, and her sister-in law Roberta J. Purcell of Anaheim, CA.

Betty is survived by her husband of fifty-one years, Sherman; her son, Steven; her four grand children, Kassondra, Steven Jr., Danielle, and Lauren; her niece Beverly Rodriguez (and Mike); brothers-in law David Hensley & Robert Purcell, and several cousins. Betty was loved and will be deeply missed by not only her husband and family, but by those who knew her as a friend and teacher. She had a twinkle in her eyes, a lovely smile, and a great sense of humor.

The family would especially like to thank the doctors from St. Jude Heritage, the nurses and bath aides from St. Joseph Hospital, and the Hospice team from St. Joseph for their support and care.

Services will be held Thursday July 24th at 10:30am at Loma Vista Memorial Park in Fullerton, CA.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in memory of Betty to the American Parkinson Disease Association or the Parkinson Disease Foundation.