Bettie Lawrence Flash

1931 - 2025

Bettie Lawrence Flash

March 16, 1931 - June 2, 2025

Chapel Hill, North Carolina - Educator, Traveler, and Advocate.

Bettie Flash, aged 94, passed away peacefully in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where she had been an active community member since 1964.

Born in Southborough, Massachusetts, to Edwin Cummings Lawrence and Margaret Lawrence, Bettie was raised in a family of educators including her father and several uncles who were senior teachers or headmasters at St. Marks School.

Her early years were marked by an adventurous spirit, including a formative year in Paris studying at L 'Ecole Alsacienne with her brother Ben, while her father was on sabbatical and studied at the Sorbonne. Her parents spoke privately in French, and so Bettie and her brother mastered it quickly.

Bettie's academic journey included: Dana Hall, and Smith College, where she graduated in 1952, followed by further studies at Georgetown University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she received her master's in education (1967). Bettie's first "official" job was as a Research Analyst for the US Armed Forces Security Agency (1952), but her calling was to be an educator at institutions, such as:

The Barstow School, Kansas City, MO (1954).

Miss Fines School, Princeton, NJ (1956-58).

The American Community School, Beirut Lebanon (1958-61).

Public Schools as a substitute Ann Arbor, MI (1962).

The Overlake Day School Burlington, VT (1963).

Durham Academy, Durham, NC (1967).

Carolina Friends School (1968-73), Durham, NC.

Chapel Hill High School (1974-80), Chapel Hill, NC.

Internacional Colegio De España, Estepona, ES (1981).

Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM), Hermosilla, MX (1986).

Durham Technical Community College (1991).

Her passion for learning extended beyond the classroom, as she became a real estate broker in 1975 and maintained rental properties throughout the Triangle.

A world traveler, Bettie explored and/or lived for extended periods in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Canada, South America, and Asia, often hosting international students and professors in her home when in Chapel Hill. She was known for her deep commitment to community service as precinct captain for local elections, a docent at North Carolina Art Museum and the Ackland Art Museum, and an advocate for prison reform and senior living standards at nursing homes. As a member of the Chapel Hill Friends Meeting since 1969, she served as Clerk and participated in numerous committees for Friends' causes.

Bettie's life was enriched by her love for the arts which led to her extensive collection of Inuit art, and the works of local artists. She was also an animal lover, a gardener, and an aficionado of theatre, opera, and Lebanese cuisine. A linguist with proficiency in French, Spanish, and entry level Russian, she was also a lifelong student of the US constitution and civics, world history, geography, cultures and art.

Survived by her daughter Margaret Hooper Flash and son-in-law Mahito Bito, son William S. Flash Jr., daughter-in-law Denine Uphoff, granddaughter Audrey Flash, and stepchildren Serrill Flash (with spouse Lacretia Johnson and step granddaughter Paulla Flash), Susan Flash, and Partner Elizabeth Rotti, and stepson Alan Flash (with spouse Neal Twichell), nephew Steve Lawrence (with spouse Becky Lawrence, children Andy and Hannah), and niece Anne Lawrence (with spouse Jan Utrecht and daughter Elizabeth Utrecht). Bettie was predeceased by her brother Benjamin Lawrence, sister-in-law Virginia Lawrence, the father of her children, William S. Flash Sr. and her parents Edwin and Margaret Lawrence.

A memorial service will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to causes close to Bettie's heart, including peace and justice initiatives, environmental advocacy, education, animal welfare, and the arts. Bettie also proudly sponsored the education of Nepalese girls, helping them secure brighter futures.

Bettie will be fondly remembered for her insatiable curiosity, her commitment to learning, her caring for others, and her belief that "Education is a great job because you get paid to learn." Her legacy lives on in the countless lives she touched through teaching, activism, and friendship.