Betty Jo Pavey

1925 - 2025

Betty Jo Pavey
July 18, 1925 – August 11, 2025
Betty Jo (Fark) Pavey passed away peacefully, at Stamford Hospital, on August 11. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, she thought of her life in three chapters: growing up and raising her family in the Midwest, mostly in suburban Chicago; working in the mental health field; and, after retirement, moving to Connecticut, in 1990, to help raise her grandchildren.
Born Elizabeth Josephine, she changed her legal name to Betty Jo at age 18. By that time, she was a journalism student at Butler University, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta and worked in the University's public relations department. After graduation, she worked for the Indiana State Police and then the Indianapolis Star. In 1951, she married Paul Pavey, and they had two children. After they were born, Betty Jo worked in the Indianapolis pre-school founded by her mother, the Educational Playroom Kindergarten, for several years.
Betty Jo earned a Master's degree in guidance and counseling from Roosevelt University, in Chicago, in 1968, while also working full-time in public relations at the First National Bank of Chicago. With her degree, she transitioned to work for a family mental health agency, and she also managed Divorce Adjustment Workshops, TM, for many years. In 1990, she moved to Connecticut to support her daughter and son-in-law in raising their children.
Throughout her life, Betty Jo was passionate about service to her community and to others. While raising her children, she was involved in their schools as they moved between Indianapolis and Park Forest, Illinois. She also was active in the local women's clubs. In Stamford, she was an active volunteer in the libraries at The Long Ridge School and King School, which her grandchildren attended.
Betty Jo is survived by her daughter, Paula (Andrew Hanson), of Stamford; son, Rick Pavey, of Yuma, AZ; grandchildren, Laurel and Forrest Hanson and Brett Pavey (Tiffany); and great-grandchildren, Brock, Cadence, Emmy and Micah Pavey.