BETTY MITCHAM GILBERT

GILBERT, BETTY MITCHAM Southlake - Betty Mitcham Gilbert, 82, passed away on Sunday, October 3, 2010. Betty was born in Brownwood, Texas to James R. Mitcham and Maxine W. Mitcham, and graduated from Brownwood High School. She attended Southern Methodist University, majoring in journalism. While attending SMU, she met Bruce Gilbert in 1947. They were married in 1948 and she helped support her husband through engineering school as a freelance writer. Bruce's profession as an engineer/inventor took their family to many locations throughout their 63 years of married life: Midland, Waco, Fort Worth, Houston, Mexico City, Dallas, Brownwood, San Diego, and Huntsville. Betty and Bruce retired to La Jolla, California in 1992. Betty was a member of the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club, Colonial Country Club, Preston Hills Racquet Club and Brownwood Country Club, and she was a lifelong Methodist. Betty is preceded in death by her parents and brother, James R. Mitcham, Jr. She is survived by her two children, Bruce M. Gilbert (wife Peggy) and Laura E. Gilbert (husband Tim Karpf), her grandchildren Wendi Gribble, Glenn Gribble (wife Crystal), Janet Divin (husband Todd), Megan Suarez, and Al Suarez, and a host of nieces, nephews, and great grandchildren. Burial will be 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 16, 2010, at Greenleaf Cemetery, 2615 HWY 377 South, Brownwood, Texas. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Betty's memory to the Texas Tennis and Education Foundation at 8105 Exchange Drive, Austin, Texas 78754.