On December 10, 2025, Bette Lee Acomb (née Betty Lee Young), beloved mother, grandmother, partner, and friend, passed away peacefully in her home in Waunakee, Wisconsin, at the age of 83.
Born in Lodi, Ohio on December 27, 1941, to Mildred and Rev. Jesse Young, Bette grew up as the eldest of three sisters, developing a love of Christianity and the natural world that endured throughout her life. Starting in a one-room schoolhouse, Bette went on to graduate from Alexis High School in Alexis, Illinois (class of 1959) and attend the College of Emporia in Kansas as an English major.
Bette devoted much of her life to raising her three children from her first marriage. During their early years together, the family lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Springfield, Virginia, before settling in Madison, Wisconsin. Over the last four decades, Bette and her partner, Patrick Below, built a successful management consulting practice and co-authored two books on strategic and operational planning.
Bette was a passionate, creative woman who was a down-to-earth thinker and action-oriented doer. She loved gardening, baking, crafting, poetry, country music, and finding a great bargain. She enjoyed traveling and making new friends, especially in England and Wales. Bette was also a devoted fan of college basketball. Her enthusiasm for the Wisconsin Badgers men's team was unmatched. She knew every player's name, stats, and backstory, and she continued following their lives long after they left UW. She fondly referred to them as "our guys," and said they were like family to her.
Bette is survived by her partner Patrick Below; her three children and their families: Craig, with his wife Patty, and their children Jack and Charlie; Jennifer, with her husband Aaron Harper; and Kate, with her husband Finn Melchior, and their son Max. She is also survived by her sisters Linda (Bob) Richards of Spring City, Tennessee, and Nancy Thompson of Brookings, South Dakota. She was preceded in death by her father, Rev. Jesse Young; her stepfather, Gene Stombaugh; and her mother, Mildred (Young) Stombaugh.
According to her wishes, Bette was cremated. Her family plans to hold a celebration of Bette's life in the spring. For those wishing to honor her memory, please find a way to donate towards Lyme disease research or consider baking and decorating cookies with loved ones. It was one of her favorite holiday traditions and a simple joy she loved to share.
Born in Lodi, Ohio on December 27, 1941, to Mildred and Rev. Jesse Young, Bette grew up as the eldest of three sisters, developing a love of Christianity and the natural world that endured throughout her life. Starting in a one-room schoolhouse, Bette went on to graduate from Alexis High School in Alexis, Illinois (class of 1959) and attend the College of Emporia in Kansas as an English major.
Bette devoted much of her life to raising her three children from her first marriage. During their early years together, the family lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Springfield, Virginia, before settling in Madison, Wisconsin. Over the last four decades, Bette and her partner, Patrick Below, built a successful management consulting practice and co-authored two books on strategic and operational planning.
Bette was a passionate, creative woman who was a down-to-earth thinker and action-oriented doer. She loved gardening, baking, crafting, poetry, country music, and finding a great bargain. She enjoyed traveling and making new friends, especially in England and Wales. Bette was also a devoted fan of college basketball. Her enthusiasm for the Wisconsin Badgers men's team was unmatched. She knew every player's name, stats, and backstory, and she continued following their lives long after they left UW. She fondly referred to them as "our guys," and said they were like family to her.
Bette is survived by her partner Patrick Below; her three children and their families: Craig, with his wife Patty, and their children Jack and Charlie; Jennifer, with her husband Aaron Harper; and Kate, with her husband Finn Melchior, and their son Max. She is also survived by her sisters Linda (Bob) Richards of Spring City, Tennessee, and Nancy Thompson of Brookings, South Dakota. She was preceded in death by her father, Rev. Jesse Young; her stepfather, Gene Stombaugh; and her mother, Mildred (Young) Stombaugh.
According to her wishes, Bette was cremated. Her family plans to hold a celebration of Bette's life in the spring. For those wishing to honor her memory, please find a way to donate towards Lyme disease research or consider baking and decorating cookies with loved ones. It was one of her favorite holiday traditions and a simple joy she loved to share.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Bette Acomb, please visit our flower store.
Bette Acomb's Guestbook
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