Betty Belk

Betty Belk peacefully passed away on August 4, 2025 in the arms of her family. Her final days were filled with love, song, and gratitude for a beautiful, full life.

Betty (Elizabeth), known to her family as a good witch, was born on Halloween 1929 in Brooklyn, New York. She spent her childhood in Summit, New Jersey alongside her siblings Ann, Peg, Tom, and Bill. As a child, she enjoyed spending time with her sisters, singing, collecting postcards, rocks, bottlecaps, and snakes (much to the terror of those around her). She spent summers with her family in Quaker Lake, Pennsylvania and Bath, New York where she picked blueberries, spent nights on a sleeping porch, and pretended to swim across a lake to pass a swim test.

After graduating from Summit High School, Betty left New Jersey to travel the world with Moral Re-Armament. She met the Shah in Iran, visited the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, and learned to cook beautiful meals for hundreds of people who were all eager to reunite the world after World War II. However, the most important thing that came out of her time in Moral Re-Armament was her marriage to John Blanton Belk Jr, known to everyone as Blanton. The two had a close friendship until Blanton saw her wearing a straw hat on a train platform in India and realized it was true love.

When Blanton, an avid outdoorsman, asked her to marry him, Betty's first response was, "I'm not an outdoorsy girl." "Betty," he said, "that wasn't the question." They married on December 11, 1954 in New Jersey. Their marriage was a true partnership, and they celebrated their 70th anniversary last December.

Betty and Blanton moved to Tucson in the early 1960s. Betty loved the beauty of the desert, but most of all she loved her community in Tucson. She was on the Board of Visitors for St. Luke's Home, the Board of The Haven, was a member of the Tucson Garden Club, and an ardent supporter of Planned Parenthood Arizona. Betty cared deeply about bettering the lives of those around her and lived her life in service to those in need.

When Blanton founded the global nonprofit organization Up with People in 1965, Betty was right by his side. She supported Blanton in every way, charming everyone from dignitaries to everyday folks, hosting countless dinner parties and events, and most importantly becoming Blanton's cherished sounding board. She became a mother figure to the 20,000 Up with People alumni around the world.

To her actual children Jenny and Katie, Betty was a magical mom who made life festive. Her grandchildren Chameli, Surina, Tommy, and Teo adored her for her whimsy, patience, and knack for making everything fun.

At home, Betty was an incredibly accomplished cook. Despite her lack of formal training, Betty could expertly butcher any animal, make pastry, and invent a recipe to use up whatever was left in the refrigerator. She made beautiful food for the countless events she hosted in her lifetime. She was a gracious hostess and loved welcoming people into her home. In her spare time (of which she never had much) she was quite the wordsmith. Betty loved Scrabble and would often spend hours playing against herself when the rest of her family wasn't good enough to keep up with her epic vocabulary.

Despite her original claims of not being an "outdoorsy girl," Betty soon proved herself an adequate shot, a skilled angler, but most of all a good sport. She spent happy summers with friends and family in San Carlos, Mexico, fishing on Blanton's boat where she would microwave quesadillas and entertain her children and, eventually, grandchildren on day-long fishing trips. She loved snorkeling in the Sea of Cortez and looking for seashells on the beach. Over the course of the past three decades, Betty had been working tirelessly alongside Blanton and her daughter Katie to develop a thousand acres conservation easement in Cochise County, known as Sandhill Farm.

Betty and Blanton spent the last eight years living with Katie and her family. They shared family dinners every night and enjoyed frequent visits from their other daughter Jenny and the rest of their devoted family.

To know Betty was to know a true friend. She was a good witch to her family, a guiding light to her husband, a second mom to many, and a champion to all. Betty had an open heart and a curious soul. She said yes to everything. She was much loved and will be sorely missed.

Betty is survived by her husband Blanton, her daughter Jenny Belk (Ajay Gupta), Katie Belk-Arenas (Miguel Arenas), grandchildren Chameli, Surina, Tommy, and Teo, sister Margaret (Peg) Clark, and William (Bill) Wilkes.

If you would like to honor Betty's life with a donation, we would be honored if you considered The Haven or Reach Out Alumni Assistance Network.

The Haven offers a safe, supportive, and judgment-free space where women can begin their healing journey from substance use disorders. Our Residential and Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) are rooted in evidence-based practices and trauma-informed care, thoughtfully tailored to meet the unique mental health and recovery needs of women. Participants may stay in either program for up to 90 days. The Haven also provides free Recovery Housing during IOP participation for women who do not have safe and stable housing in the community.

Donate here: https://thehaventucson.org/in-memory-of-betty/

Reach Out is a non-profit organization created by alumni, for alumni of Up with People, Sing-Out, Moral Re-Armament and WorldSmart in need of emergency assistance.

Reach Out is there for you in your time of need

Donate here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RH7KPY8AMHJBC