Betty Jane Lee

Betty Jane Claybon Lee, born December 14, 1938, in Roanoke, Virginia, was the second of six children born to Reverend William and Mary Bell Hudgins Claybon. Betty was introduced to the Lord very early in life, as her father was a Baptist minister and her mother was First Lady of the churches where he preached. As children, Betty and her sisters sang in the choir and also performed as a gospel group. Betty was saved and baptized in a creek at age of 12 at Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Knoxville, Maryland, where her father was the minister. She loved the Lord and has been a member of New Antioch Baptist Church of Randallstown for 31 years.

Betty grew up in Hagerstown, Maryland and attended and graduated from the segregated North High School, where she was a star basketball point guard. Shortly after leaving high school, she attended Henryton Nursing Hospital and the Community College of Baltimore, earning her associate degree and the University of Maryland School of Nursing, Later, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Maryland School of Nursing and became a Registered Nurse.

Betty married Martin William Lee, Sr on June 21, 1958, and, of this union, they had four children: Cheryl, Martin Jr., Kimble, and Beth. Betty and Martin were married for 31 years before they divorced.

She was employed as a Registered Nurse with Baltimore City Hospital (later named Francis Scott Key Hospital) for 22 years. After Johns Hopkins acquired the hospital, Betty continued her employment as a Registered Nurse at Johns Hopkins Bayview for another 23 years. Her total nursing career spanned a total of 45 years at the same hospital, serving in almost every department. She served her last two decades working in Emergency Room where she touched countless lives and made lifelong friends. She worked part-time at Eldercare Nursing Home and Springfield State Hospital in Sykesville, Maryland. Following her retirement, she studied mortuary science in an effort to assist her sister, Dr. Mary Frances Watson, DNP owner and operator of Watson Funeral Home, the oldest African American funeral home in Hagerstown, Maryland.

Betty was dedicated to activism and giving back to her community. She was a member of the Black Nurses Association of Baltimore, where she also made lifelong friends. Betty was lifetime member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She was an active participant with the Carroll County NAACP and worked on the democratic and health committees. Betty was responsible for ensuring that members were educated about healthcare issues and political matters impacting Carroll County residents. As an active member of NAACP, she was instrumental in the restoration of the Sykesville Colored School House and the erection of a historical marker of the Henryton State Hospital Center as Maryland's first tuberculosis sanatorium for African Americans. Betty was an active member of American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Baltimore City Chapter, and an active member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Hope Chapter #52.

Betty loved to sing (gospel), shop (find a good sale on food or clothes), and attend family gatherings (celebrating birthdays, milestones, holidays). As a result of growing up during the Great Depression, she believed in giving and sharing because she remembered when she did not have much to give or share. She did not miss a birthday, holiday, graduation, or anniversary. Her gifts were sprinkled with a little extra something from the lottery angel (a scratch-off ticket) and the snack angel (a goodie bag of treats). Family gatherings were extra special when Betty's turkey, dressing, and gravy arrived, and the first slice of her famous pound cake was sliced. A copy of her pound cake recipe is provided on the back cover. Before starting dialysis, Betty loved to travel nationally and internationally.

Betty was an outspoken person of tremendous conviction about her values and beliefs. She exuded kindness, support, and strength. She stressed the importance of serving God and getting to know him for yourself. She took pride in her family and made sure her children knew their family history. Annually, she took trips to former churches where her father preached and made every effort to stay connected to her family in Roanoke, VA and Buckingham, VA. Betty modeled an unmatched work ethic and was instrumental in ensuring that her children were educated and understood the value of working hard and saving money for a rainy day.

Betty spent the last 44 years living in her home in Sykesville, MD. She loved it there and developed lasting friendships with many of her neighbors, who became her extended family. During her illness, she was provided exceptional care by her children, neighbors, and care providers. She asked the Lord to allow her to remain in her home until He called her home, and He granted her wish.

Betty J. Claybon Lee transitioned to eternal life to be with the Lord on November 6, 2025, at her home. She was preceded in death by her parents, Reverend William Claybon and Mary Bell Hudgins Claybon, her son, Sgt. Kimble C. Lee, her sisters, Dr. Mary Watson, Barbara Latney, and Agnes Claybon, her brother, John Claybon, and her stepbrother, Dr. William Clayborne.

She is survived by her children Cheryl Powell (Ronaldo), Martin W. Lee Jr. (Dr. Vanessa Lee), Dr. Beth L. Crawford (Krishna Ramson), stepson Larry Orem (Vicki), her bonus daughter/niece, Sonya Lee, her granddaughter Tanika Lee and her grandson Krishna Ramson, II; and her great grandchildren Tori Lee, Tamia Lee, and Carter Lee; a host of nieces, nephews and friends. Of note, she was blessed with 65 plus years of friendship with Martha Land and Shirley Pulliam, and over 40 years of friendship with Deborah Phillips and Barbara Galloway. Also of special acknowledgement are her dearest friend/neighbor Joann Wyatt; neighbors Etta Weitzman, Linda & Donnie Meadows, Lori Kilroy, and Beverly & Joe Kempler.