Betty Pine

Betty Faye Pine passed away peacefully on September 3, 2021 at the age of 97. Born on April 9th, 1924 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Betty was the kind-hearted, sassy, and gentle second child of Harold and Isabel Harvey. Her father was a songwriter and oil man, and her mother, a homemaker. When asked about her childhood memories in her later years, Betty was reminded of how she loved her mother’s chocolate cake. Betty loved anything chocolate. She also talked about the warm Arizona winds and how they reminded her of the sandstorms in Tulsa, where the sand would sting her legs as she walked home from school. In high school, Betty and her mother moved to Oklahoma City to live with Isabel’s mother, Grandma Garman. While Grandma Garman was rigid and strict, she was also quite the card player, teaching Betty and her mother to have a lifelong love of the game of Bridge, though she never let them win. When Betty was 19, she met and fell in love with James L. Brown. They married and made the move to New Mexico, eventually landing in Farmington. Soon came “The Brown Kids,” Leslie, David, Mark, and Teresa, filling the house with laughter, joy, and the occasional rock through a window (DAVID!). After Betty and Jim divorced, Betty spent some time in Littleton, Colorado, working as a secretary before returning to Farmington, where she met Wilton D. Pine, a city clerk and father to three lovely daughters, Pat, JoAnn, and Betty Jean. Betty and Wilton had a whirlwind romance and in 1970, three weeks after they began dating, they were married. Wilton was known for his calm presence, a warm heart, his ability to sleep ANYWHERE, and for being a shrewd investor. He loved Betty and made sure she would want for nothing. Wilton was often heard saying, “That’s a good deal,” and the good deals he invested in took care of them for the rest of their lives. Betty and Wilton loved to travel, touring the country in their RV or taking cruises to see the glaciers in Alaska. Even after Wilton passed, Betty continued traveling with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. After all of their travels and snowbirding, Betty and Wilton settled in Peoria, Arizona, spending the rest of their lives in the Arizona sunshine. Recently, when Betty was asked what her favorite record was, she wrote, “I wish I was in Peoria,” and remarked, “Now I’m here!” Betty was known for her wit, dry sense of humor, and her generosity. She was always thinking of others, and often went out of her way to care for those who needed a helping hand. Betty was famous for making you stop the car to give money to the less fortunate. Everyone who knew Betty had a unique story about how she helped them or others. Betty was also a prolific artist, creating crocheted dish towels, yarnwork, vases, greeting cards, calligraphy, and paintings, many of which are displayed in the homes of her family and friends. When she wasn’t working on her arts and crafts, Betty was a regular at Bingo nights, an avid dominoes player (she taught many of her grandchildren to play, but never let them win), was always working on a puzzle, and played quite a few hands of cards. She enjoyed the quality time spent with her family and friends over these (mostly) friendly games and activities. Betty is survived by her children, Leslie, David, Mark, Teresa and their families; her stepchildren Pat, JoAnn, and Betty Jean and their families. Her final days were spent thinking about her beloved family. She kept trying to leave the care center in an attempt to get back to her children, no doubt thinking David and Mark were up to something again. A celebration of Betty’s life will be held later this fall.