Betty Blake White Rickenbacher
1932 - 2020
Betty Blake White Passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her cherished and loving family and long time friend on August 23rd, 2020. A Proud native Texan, born Dec. 12th, 1932 in Mexia, near her hometown of Groesbeck, TX. Betty was first raised on Blue Ribbon Ranch in Alice, TX, along with her many beloved cousins. Later moved back to the Brown family home in Groesbeck with her beloved Mother Louise Brown Blake and spent summers with her adored sister Barbara Blake Putnam, father John Phillip Blake and stepmother Patti Blake. Betty graduated from U.T Austin in 1955 with a degree in education and a prime spot as a journalist for the Cactus. She was a Zeta and a Blue Bonnet Belle. Beauty, as well as being the Sigma Chi sweetheart where she met and married her first husband Emory L White Jr., the father of her 3 children. Betty taught school in El Paso before moving to Dallas where they raised their children. They were divorced in 1977. She worked in Real Estate in the Park Cities and Dallas area. Betty met and married, Ted Rickenbacher of Fort Worth in 1985. She attended TCU receiving an honorary degree in Ranch Management. Adventurously Betty started Comanche Camp a small cattle ranch on her family land. Her many activities throughout the years included world travel, investment club, volunteer work at St, Michael and All Angels Church, gardening, drawing and painting, and studying Native American culture. She loved looking for arrowheads along the bank of Navasota river with her grandchildren. Betty devoted herself to her family, and friends, especially to her children and her 10 grandchildren (whom she was crazy about). She is survived by her husband of 35 years Ted Rickenbacher, and her Children listed followed by Grandchildren. Leslie Louse Ollier Ingle; Vaughan Ollier and Jessica Ingle, Elizabeth Blake White; John Michael E. Rather, and Mallory N. Ledyard, Emory Landrum White III ; Christa L. Andrew, Kyle White, Kameron White Step Children: Dave Rickenbacher: Monica Harris, Ann Thaxton: Macey Thaxton and Andrew Thaxton. Ever the perfect hostess, Betty kept her family together through her sumptuous dinner parties and family celebrations. Betty was a force of nature, stubborn, loving, petite yet formidable, beautiful, funny, strong, and the rock we moored our lives to for so many years. Betty is also survived by sister Barbara Putnam, sister Barb’s daughters; Elizabeth, Catherine and Suzanna, nephew Tom Brown, and Her best friend Jody Tobin, Her favorite cousins in the Blake, Sparenberg, Stroud and Ford family; Cile, Russ, Susan, Car, and Sally to name a few of the “fun gang.” We miss You Betty, Mother, Grandma, wife, sister, cousin, teacher, friend, artist and gutsy rancher. Donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.