Betty Mae Thames Watts

Betty Mae Thames Watts November 13, 1940 – May 9, 2016 The Lord and Savior warmly received Betty Mae Thames Watts into his kingdom on May 9, 2016. A memorial service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday, May 13, 2016 at the Lakeside Baptist Church, 1501 Sunset Avenue, Rocky Mount. Dr. Jody Wright will officiate. The family will receive friends Friday immediately following the service at Lakeside Baptist Church, Rocky Mount. Betty’s health had deteriorated over the last several years due to spinal cord surgery in 1984 that left her in a wheelchair and with chronic to severe pain the last several years. Betty was born to be an educator, from the first grade she felt the call to teach. After high school graduation, Betty graduated from Winthrop College and received a Master’s Degree in History from Clemson University. Any seminar in the summers that fit her subject matter, she applied and was accepted. This continued throughout her teaching career that spanned over a period of thirty-four years. In spite of being in a wheelchair from her surgery, she returned back to teaching and taught nineteen more years at Northern Nash Senior High for a total of thirty-four years. Betty was inducted into the teacher’s honor society, Delta Kappa Gama (DKG) that was an honor she cherished. More honors came recognizing her teaching abilities. In 1967, she was selected the young educator of the year for South Carolina; 1989 – 1990 teacher of the year for Nash County Schools. Betty was an advocate for teacher rights and worked with NEA-NCEA for many years and served on the Constitutions Committee uniting Nash and the Rocky Mount school systems. She was a member of the NCEA “Professional Rights and Responsibilities” committee for several years and chaired the committee traveling to Raleigh to review and select the law cases under review for possible litigation through NCAE support and guidance. Recognizing in 1987, the need to make more places accessible for the disabled, Betty served on the Mayor’s Commission for the Disabled and visited all the Nash County schools to recommend improvements and changes for better accessibility. In 1989, she was selected the Pilot International North Carolina district “Disabled Professional Woman” of the year. In addition to all of her accomplishments, she was a wonderful and talented homemaker. She was a great cook and loved to read, knit and cross-stitch. Much of her work was framed and adorns the walls of her home. Betty was the most beautiful wife and amazing mother and grandmother she could be. She will be greatly missed and the world is truly diminished without her in it. Betty was a member of Lakeside Baptist Church for twenty-eight years and early on taught youth classes for several years, due to declining heath, she was unable to attend church services, and however, she was faithful each Sunday morning in tuning in the televised services of Hayes Barton Baptist Church out of Raleigh. Betty is survived by her loving husband of forty-nine years, Charles “Bill” Watts of the home; her sons, Charles “Chuck” William, Jr. and wife, Kim of Sims, Christopher Fope Watts and wife, Shelly of Rocky Mount, and Carl Thames, of Chatsworth, Georgia; her granddaughter, Kadence and grandsons, Justin-Paul and Gavin, all of whom Betty adored and who pleased her immensely; her sister, C.A. Jordan and husband, Hal of Cayce, South Carolina. Betty will be greatly missed by numerous cousins and nieces, especially by her aunts, Jessie, Sara, Audrey, Harriet, and her uncle, Enos. She was preceded in death by her parents, Fope and Lila Thames; her grandparents, Clarence Jackson Thames and wife, Alma Frierson Thames, and Carl Ben Pack and Thersa Hodge Pack. The family wishes to express their appreciation to all the staff and care givers at Gentiva Home Care and Hospice and Palliative Care of Nash Health Care for all their excellent care given to Betty during her lengthy illness. A special thank you to Dr. David Browder of the Boice-Willis Clinic and special nurse Jennifer for their care and medical support provided to Betty over the past several years. Flowers are welcome or memorials may be given in Betty’s memory to Lakeside Baptist Church, 1501 Sunset Avenue, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804. Condolences may be directed to www.joyners.net.