Betty Jean Pierce

Betty Jean Pierce

On April 15th, 1950 the world warmly welcomed Betty Jean Frierson (Pierce), which she rewarded by dedicating her life to its improvement and benefit. Her parents Frank and Dorothy Frierson and brother Tom lived in the Lakewood/Tacoma area, but moved frequently to Air Force and Airline Maintenance bases including locations in Hawaii, Moses Lake, and Wake Island near Japan. Betty loved her pets, and her favorite game was playing "teacher" with friends and dolls. She attended Lakes High School where she was captain of the drill team and a member of the ski patrol. She left CWU after studying interior design for two years to pursue a career as a flight attendant. During this time she made lifelong friendships, met numerous celebrities including Leonard Nimoy and Ozzy Osbourne, and she rescued endangered turtles from pet stores and an injured pigeon from the streets of Philadelphia.

She met her soulmate, Jeffrey Pierce on a blind date and was immediately impressed by his kindness. They were married 11/08/1975, and Betty stopped working when her first daughter, Whitney was born. The family moved to Saudi Arabia when Jeff was transferred with Hughes Airwest shortly after their second daughter, Erin was born. Betty started a preschool program, and they traveled the world. They moved back to the Seattle area where Betty volunteered as a Sunday school teacher at Boulevard Park Presbyterian church and as the Kent View Christian School PTA president. She also worked to change the Kent Humane Society policies after seeing animals there in poor conditions.

Her third child, Brian was born, and the family moved to River Falls, WI when Jeff was transferred by Republic Airlines. There, Betty grew the Sunday school program at Bethel Baptist, and she went back to college to complete a degree in education at UWRF. She was hired at St. Bridget's School where she was a beloved and inspirational elementary teacher. She continued her studies and received a Master's in Early Childhood Education from St. Mary's College. When she wasn't studying or teaching, she loved being outdoors both volunteering as a master gardener and captaining her pontoon boat, "The River Lady" on the St. Croix river. Her appreciation for nature led her to testify before the EPA to gain protections against toxic coal ash with the Restoring Eden Organization.

She and Jeff retired and moved back to Washington state first in Sequim and later settling in Woodinville. They enjoyed spending precious time with their grandkids, flying in Jeff's Lake Amphibian, raising koi, and starting a charitable foundation to support Betty's advocacy in animal welfare, education, and environmental conservation. Even as Betty's health declined with Alzheimer's disease, she continued to find ways to contribute such as cheering on her grandson's baseball teams and boosting the spirits of everyone around her with kind affirmations. To Jeff's great surprise and despite her health, she insisted on attending the warm and welcoming Arbor Church where she especially celebrated the music and babies. She was always a fierce defender of those struggling or vulnerable, and her loved ones supported her in return. She is survived by her husband Jeff, her brother Tom Frierson (Liz), her kids Whitney (Yoshi), Erin, and Brian (Rosa), and her grandchildren Mia, Logan, Ariadne, Victoria, and Jasper.
She was a huge fan of Shakespeare, so this quote is fitting, "How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world."