Obituary published on Legacy.com by Chadwick & McKinney Funeral Home, Inc. on Nov. 15, 2025.
Elizabeth Nancy "Betty" Lutz (née Jones), 94, of Key West, Florida, formerly of Bala Cynwyd and Trooper, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on November 13, 2025. She left this world to be reunited with her beloved husband on what would have been his 96th birthday.
Born on October 31, 1931, in Philadelphia County, Betty was the daughter of the late Elizabeth and John Jones, and the loving older sister of John Jones Jr., who survives her. She grew up in Bala Cynwyd and graduated from Lower Merion High School in 1949.
On August 18, 1951, at the age of 19, she married her childhood sweetheart, James Newlin Lutz, beginning a loving marriage that lasted nearly 46 years. Betty and James welcomed their daughter, Dauna Lee, on November 10, 1954. In 1966, they purchased their longtime family home on Amy Drive in Trooper, PA, where they raised their daughter and built a life rooted in family, hard work, and community.
Betty worked as a bookkeeper for Harry Kravitz, a builder in the Philadelphia suburbs, throughout the 1960s. She later continued her bookkeeping career with Basset Steel and Tubing in King of Prussia, where she worked into the 1990s.
On September 1, 1994, Betty and James bought a home on Maloney Avenue in Key West, Florida, with plans to spend their winters there and eventually retire full time. After James passed away on May 6, 1997, Betty held tightly to their shared dream and, in 2006, she moved to Key West permanently.
Betty loved Key West deeply. She cherished her friendships with Ethel and Irma, and together the trio were active members of the Key West Women's Club. Many Friday nights were spent at TGI Friday's, sharing laughs over happy hour with "the girls" and her brother, JJ.
She was a brave, strong woman who treated everyone with such warmth and kindness that anyone who met her couldn't help but love her. Betty had a creative soul and loved to draw and paint. She enjoyed spending quiet afternoons putting together jigsaw puzzles and was remarkably talented at crossword and crypto puzzles. She also loved to dress up whenever she went out - never without her heels, jewelry, and a touch of sparkle that reflected her lively spirit.
At home, she loved to relax with her favorite game shows - especially Let's Make a Deal and The Price Is Right. As the years passed and her dear friends left this world, Betty missed them profoundly and longed for the day she could see them again.
She will be missed every day, but her family finds comfort in knowing she is now at peace, reunited with James and all the friends and loved ones she carried in her heart.
Betty is survived by her daughter Dauna Lutz Mruskovic (John Mruskovic); her grandchildren Jenny Metz, Eric Metz, Julie Matzner (Jason Matzner), Justin Mruskovic, and Krystal Keen (Ryan Keen); her great-grandchildren Emma Lindley, Ellie Matzner, Charlynn Keen, and Myles Keen; her brother John Jones Jr.; as well as many other cherished family members and friends.
A viewing will be held on Friday, November 21st, at 10:30 AM at Chadwick & McKinney Funeral Home, 30 East Athens Avenue,
Ardmore, PA, followed by a service at 11:00 AM. Interment will take place immediately afterward at Valley Forge Memorial Gardens, 352 South Gulph Road, King of Prussia, PA.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Betty's memory to a
charity of your choice.