Alice Mae Judd Betsill

Alice Judd Betsill passed into the heavenly kingdom on Monday, September 13th. She will be missed by the many people whose lives she touched with her teaching, her wisdom, and her love. Alice was born in September 25, 1928, in Erwin, North Carolina. She received her early education in the Public School system there. After graduating from the Harnett High School, at the age of 15, she enrolled in the historic Bennett College for Women, Greensboro, North Carolina, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Studies and Sociology. A year after graduation, Alice and Roscoe James Betsill were united in Holy Matrimony. For 41 years, they resided in Columbus, Ohio. Having been reared in Christian homes and been members of their respective churches since early life, they joined Second Baptist Church shortly after arrival in this city. To this union, two children were born, Roscoe Betsill, Jr. and Angela Betsill. Alice’s participation in Second Baptist Church included membership in the Senior Choir, as well as being a Nursery Teacher, Sunday School Story Teller, and Reporter for the Second Baptist Newsletter, The Voices of Second Baptist Church. She also participated in the Anna Circle and was a Prayer Ministry leader. In 1960, Alice enrolled at Capital University and took courses required to convert her Secondary Teaching Certificate to one for Elementary Teaching. At that time, there were no vacancies for Black Secondary Social Studies teachers in the then segregated Columbus School System. She went on to receive her Masters Degree in Elementary Education from the Ohio State University. Alice was an educator in the Columbus City Schools for thirty years. She served as an Enrichment (Title I) Teacher, Resource Teacher on special assignment, and as a specialist for a computer-assisted reading and math program. She was chosen to be on the staff at Linden Park, the first Elementary Alternative School in Columbus. She was involved in curriculum development. Later, she was similarly involved at Douglas Alternative, an Open Space school. She was a member of the Columbus Alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, The Helen Jenkins Davis Scholarship Awards Group (Lunch Bunch), National Ohio and Columbus Educational Associations, Franklin County Retired Teachers Association, A Quality of Sharing, N.A.A.C.P., and the Southern Poverty Law Center. She formally volunteered at the Martin Luther King Center, The Negro College Fund, Rosemont School for Girls, and The Mid-Ohio Food Bank. It was her pleasure to serve others. Alice was a devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and aunt. She cared deeply about the wellbeing of all her family members and friends. She loved her church family and was a member for 61 years. In addition to her passion for spirituality and teaching, she enjoyed reading, writing poetry, visual and performing arts, time with family and friends, golf with Roscoe, physical fitness activities and traveling. She and her late husband were blessed to travel extensively. Alice continued to travel throughout the US, including Hawaii and Alaska, as well as the Caribbean, Mexico, South America, Central America, Europe, and most memorably Africa (Egypt and Ghana). Following Roscoe’s transition, Alice felt blessed to have in her life a very special friend Phelton G. Simmons, also the love and support of Roscoe’s best friend, and her friend Leon Biggs, her lifelong friend, Ernestine Hagan and many others. Alice was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Lena Judd, her husband Roscoe Betsill, grandparents Sam and Sarah Judd and Parker and Agnes Covington, 13 aunts and uncles, and 12 brothers and sisters. She leaves a legacy of love to her survivors, Son, Roscoe Betsill Jr. (Steven Keith), Daughter, Angela Betsill, Grandsons Michael Roulhac and Jesse Valdez and to a host of nieces, nephews and cousins and dear friends. Celebration of Life Service 11:00 AM Monday, September 20, 2010 at Second Baptist Church, 186 North 17th Street, where the family will receive friends from 10:00 AM until the start of services. Interment in Glen Rest Memorial Estate. In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations to her alma mater, Bennett College, www.bennettcollege.edu or to the American Heart Association, www.americanheart.org. Service: Monday, September 20, 2010 11:00 AM