Betty Ann Dance

1940 - 2025

Betty Ann Dance was born January 14, 1940 in Salt Lake City, UT to Ruth Eileen and Roland W. Dance. She passed away October 9, 2025 at her home in Smithfield, UT. Her youth was spent in Sugar House where she became known for breaking windows while playing softball with the neighborhood boys. Her record of broken windows was twenty-three for a season.

Betty attended the University of Utah obtaining her degree in physical education. Each summer she would head to Maine to be a camp counselor at Camp Tapawingo. She has many cherished memories of her times teaching sailing, rowing and other sports.

Upon graduation from the UofU, she moved to Morgan where she taught Junior High School physical education and health.

Betty went back to school at Utah State University and received her master's degree in physical education. When she graduated, her father saw an ad in the newspaper advertising jobs at the Church College of New Zealand. Betty applied and soon found herself living in Hamilton, New Zealand. She lived there for six years teaching Maori and other students how to play net ball, a game she had never herself played. Betty loved New Zealand, the Maori people, and her life in New Zealand.

When she returned to the states, she enrolled at Brigham Young University and completed a second master's degree in library science. This degree sent her to Mobile, Alabama and the United States Sports Academy where she hobnobbed with athletes getting their advanced degrees. Six years later she got her dream job working at Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library as a reference librarian. Betty loved her time at USU and made many lifelong friends from her time teaching and mentoring students.

Upon retirement Betty volunteered at the Smithfield Public Library and the North Logan Public Library. She loved helping people.

Betty was an amazing athlete, downhill skiing since childhood, playing golf, tennis and many other sports. She was a daily runner and competed in many marathons and half marathons. She was selected to groom the downhill ski course at Snow Basin for the 2002 Olympics and Paralympics, the only female on her course crew.

Betty is survived by her longtime companion Vicki Read, her siblings Carol (Dave) Sjoberg, Kathy Jones, and Bob (Shaunie) Dance. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother-in-law Tom Jones.

A viewing will be held October 13 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Allen Mortuary 420 East 1800th North in North Logan. Funeral services will be held on October 14 at the Smithfield Stake First Ward chapel at 175 South 100 West. Services begin at 11:00 a.m.

There will also be a short viewing before the services from 10:00 a.m.to 10:40 a.m. at the church. Interment will be at the Smithfield City Cemetery, 300 East Center Street.

Memories and condolences may be shared and expressed at www.allenmortuaries.com.