Obituaries

Elizabeth (Betty) Whitaker Buckley

Mrs. Elizabeth (Betty) Whitaker Buckley, age 83, of Fayetteville, Ark., died peacefully on Oct. 4, 2018. She was born on Dec. 29, 1934 to the late Rev. Alexander and Ruth Whitaker Jr. Betty was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She graduated from Greenwood High School in Greenwood, Miss., and married Blair Buckley Jr. in 1952. Within 9 years, she had borne 5 children. She found her calling as a young Army officer's wife and mother and blossomed as she faced the challenges of frequent moves, always managing to create warm, comfortable, colorful, loving homes out of sterile Army quarters throughout Blair's 20-year Army career. Even with the frequent moves, deployments and turbulence of Army life Betty managed to raise her children, nurturing and developing their individual gifts and talents, opening their eyes to the beauty, joy and possibilities present in the world around them. Her love, encouragement and faith in God resulted in all of her children being successful adults, earning college and advanced degrees. Betty was a naturally creative woman, excelling in all manner of handcrafts, culinary arts and music. She delighted in making beautiful clothes and sweaters for her family. Her artistic abilities shined in the textile arts. She was an award winning quilter and was asked to create a quilt that was published in a book of quilts with Japanese design. She never tired of the challenge of creating ever more complicated quilting designs, and machine embroidery, happily spending hours in her studio surrounded by her sewing machines, fabric and threads. Wherever home was, Betty made it a center of fun and creativity for her family and friends. Her home was always filled with music: classical, operas, Broadway musicals, big band, American standards, and the latest songs on the radio, all of which she sang along to in a beautiful voice that didn't diminish with age. She loved to cook and had the talent of creating a meal for 7, from scratch, every night with everything being hot and ready at the same time, often in less than an hour, filling her home with delicious, mouth-watering smells. She loved the challenge of new recipes, such as making a perfect New York style bagel for a home-sick friend while stationed in Panama. Betty's life wasn't always easy. But she always met life's challenges with grace, humor, strength and courage. Her faith let her know that with God all things are possible. Ever the ferocious mother, she refused to let cancer take her from her family. She won her battle with breast cancer at age 36, only 9 months after losing her father to cancer. A strong woman, she kept her family safe and secure when Blair, a Special Forces officer, was deployed to Korea and Vietnam twice. In the days before cell phones and Internet she handled all challenges and emergencies on her own with apparent ease. Betty had a great sense of adventure. She reveled in driving the entire length of the Pan-American Highway in a motor home with her husband, 5 children and a Great Dane dog, as well as taking all 7 of her grandchildren river-rafting on the Snake River in Idaho. She took each of the 36 moves in her life as a new adventure, never flinching at the unknown, but showing courage and confidence that each move would be better than the last. Betty's life was a testament to her faith in God. She never preached but her life spoke her faith for all to see. She loved all people and treated them with respect, regardless of race, religion, or social status. When she saw a need she did what she could to help whether giving of her money, time, energy, talent or reaching out to those with influence. She was never happier than when helping and passing on her talents and skills to others, whether family, friends or strangers. She didn't turn her back on those in need and always supported the military Veterans. She used her skills to create caps, quilts, toys, and other items to help raise money for various charities, especially cancer related charities. She truly believed that it is better to give than receive. Betty was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Alexander Whitaker III, and her beloved husband of 59 years, Blair Buckley Jr. She is survived by her five children: Elizabeth Curtis of Deming, N.M.; Blair Buckley III of Shreveport, La.; Ann Hency of Horseshoe Bay, Texas; Georgia Franks of San Antonio, Texas, and Robert Buckley of Savannah, Ga.; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. At her request the family plans a private celebration of her life. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the American Cancer Society, 901 North University, Little Rock, Ark. 72207. To sign the online guest book, visit www.mooresfuneralchapel.com.

Published October 7, 2018

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