Bettye Lou Porter

Bettye Lou Porter, 88, went home to be with the Lord on Saturday morning, Nov. 5, 2022, at a local Athens health care facility. A lifelong resident of McMinn County, she was a lifelong member of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Athens, where she was the church pianist until her health prevented her from playing. She was a graduate of J.L. Cook High School in Athens, where she played basketball as a guard. She remained a basketball fan and would sometimes attend Lady Vols basketball games. She received her BS degree from Knoxville College and Masters degree from Tennessee State University. She did additional post-graduate studies at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She began her career teaching for two years at East Etowah Elementary. She taught first grade at J.L. Cook Elementary. She also taught at Forrest Hill Elementary, Westside Elementary and City Park Elementary. She retired from the Athens City School System in 1993 after 36 years. She was preceded in death by her parents, Henry Daniel Porter and Margaret Nelson Porter; sisters, Imogene Porter Hopper and Billie Porter Armstrong; brother, Kenneth Porter; and nephews, Gary "Pinky" Hopper and Anthony Hopper. She leaves to cherish her memories her aunts, Carolyn Nelson of Detroit, Mich., and Gwendolyn Nelson-Conrad of Mississippi; special cousin, Marynelle Suddereth of Madisonville, who was like a sister; her nieces, Kara "Missy" (Daniel) Porter-Turner of Jacksonville, Fla., Vicki Porter of Las Vegas, Nev., Myra (Roberto) Sangroni of Fort Pierce, Fla., Katrina Hopper of West Park, Fla., and Mary Hopper (Levi) Jones of Port St. Lucie, Fla.; a nephew, Kenneth Hopper of Brooklyn, N.Y.; many great-nieces and great-nephews; many cousins and friends in the Athens community; and special caregivers in the last years of her life, Harriel and Stanley Blair, Ray Johnson, Sara Lee Jones, and Deborah Abernathy Johnson. A Homegoing Celebration will be held Thursday, Nov. 10, at 1 p.m. with pastor, the Rev. Chris Eady, officiating and the Rev. Vant Hardaway delivering the eulogy. The family will receive friends one hour before the service at the church from noon until 1 p.m. Interment will follow the service in Hammonds Cemetery in Athens. Visitation by friends and former students will be on Wednesday, Nov. 9, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the chapel of M.D. Dotson & Sons Funeral Home. Services of loving memory entrusted to M.D. Dotson & Sons Funeral Home of Athens. In observance of Covid-19, all are asked to wear a mask and observe social distancing.