Betty Reid

Betty Reid died Friday, February 25, at the age of 74, after laying down a nearly two-year fight against inoperable liver cancer. In her final days, she was surrounded by family, love and a multitude of prayers and support from friends and loved ones near and far.

A Billings, Montana, native, Betty was born to Samuel and Charline Walter on October 7, 1947. After graduating from West High School, she married Robert “Bob” Reid in 1967. Moving around Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, and Minnesota, she supported Bob's pursuit of higher education and the growth of his career, while also building a family and ever-growing network of lifelong friends. She later shared colorful stories of lessons learned as a dental assistant or waitressing at a truck stop. Bob and Betty returned to Billings in 1977. She worked multiple jobs to support her family, including working at Kmart and the American Heart Association, selling Tupperware, doing door-to-door business surveys, and holding various positions at Holy Rosary School, and later in the St. Francis school system.

With Bob often out of town for work for much of the first half of their marriage, she somehow still found the time and energy to raise five very involved kids, shuttle them between a myriad of extracurriculars, donate her time for religious events and activities, and help build sets for school theater productions, like The Sound of Music, Oklahoma, and Fiddler on the Roof. While she was not one to search out the spotlight, she was always eager to help set the stage for others to shine.

Betty took dance lessons when she was young and loved music, often launching into exercise routines no matter where she was when a song came on that she “used to do aerobics to.” She was humble and self-deprecating to the end, making jokes at her own expense or deflecting people's compliments. Betty was a great baker and cook, who used to make and sell birthday, wedding, and other event cakes out of her home kitchen. No one could beat her potato or taco salads, gourmet potatoes, meatloaf, deviled eggs, butterscotch pudding pie, salted nut rolls, Special K bars and any number of other family favorites. She also worked wonders with a can of cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup.

But Betty's greatest gift to this world, other than the selfless love she gave her family, was the compassion and kindness she showed through her spirit of service, especially for the students who passed through the various hallways of the Catholic school system. With more than three decades in various roles and buildings, those who knew her said Betty was the glue that held things together. She was that for her family, too.

Betty is preceded in death by her mother Charlie, her father Sam, and her daughter Gayle.

She will be sorely missed by many, but especially by Bob, her husband of 54 years; her children, Sean (Becky), Beth (George), Douglas, Laura (Nathan) and Scott (Megan); her grandchildren Connor, Kaylee, Victoria, Mary, Poppy, Alice, Marian, Emily, Samuel, Simon, Lucas, Jackson, a grandchild yet to arrive; and her sister Carol.

In place of flowers, Betty's family would encourage donations to the Catholic school system, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the American Heart Association, or your favorite charity.

Family and friends are welcome to come and share stories and memories at a vigil on Thursday, March 3 at 6:00 PM at Dahl Funeral Chapel. A funeral Mass to celebrate Betty will be held on Friday, March 4 at 11:00 AM at St. Pius X Church.