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Obituary for Dr. Bettye H. "Aunt Bettye" Quinn
Bettye Quinn died peacefully with her family by her side Thursday, June 4, 2020. She is preceded in death by her parents, Bertha Sebren Quinn and Leroy Percy Quinn Sr., and her brothers Leroy Percy Quinn Jr. and Sonny Boy.
She is survived by her sister Ella Martha Odom; niece Kristina Goodson (Eddie), and grandnephew Dylan; nieces Joie Quinn Marcone of Florida, Carlynn LuraeReed of Montana, and several great nieces and nephews.
She is also survived by her no-nonsense niece Lori Fortenberry (David) and the two men she truly loved, her fabulous nephew LeRoy Anthony “Tony” Quinn and her great nephew James David Fortenberry Jr. who all affectionately refer to as Lil David.
Bettye was born at home July 19, 1935. Her older brother had cerebral palsy, which at the time was believed to have been caused by the doctors pinching his neck with the forceps, so Bertha chose to have Bettye at home. One of Bettye’s earliest accomplishments was walking at nine months of age. One day her mother, tired from carrying both her and her older brother, set Bettye down momentarily; Bettye stood up, began walking, and as many know, never stood still again.
Bettye would later be joined by two siblings, her sister Martha and brother Leroy, to whom she would always be the Quinn-essential big sister.
Bettye would go on to be arguably the smartest person wherever she went. She once said she knew she would never be the prettiest girl in the room so she would be the smartest, and she was.
She would graduate from elementary and junior high top of her class, attend Central High School, where she would be valedictorian, and go on to the place that would later become her home for 55 years —Belhaven University. She received her degree from BU, where she again would be valedictorian, then went on to Mississippi College where she earned her Master’s degree and, once again, would be valedictorian.
Bettye was a Baptist until the age of nine, hence her love for the Baptist hymn “Victory in Jesus,” till she found what is now Wells Memorial United Methodist Church. She began teaching Sunday school there at 10 years of age, and she continued to do so until her death.
The most important thing is her love for her Savior, Jesus Christ. She lived her life very authentically and in a way that made others want to know the Lord.
She was a true southern lady. She did not wear pants. She was only seen wearing them twice — once under a dress because it was so cold on the Belhaven Singing Christmas Tree and once in the Jordan River on a trip that the Rev. Frank Pollard from First Baptist Church was also on. He was baptizing people in the Jordan River and said, “Miss Quinn, would you like to be baptized?” Being the true Methodist that she was, she said, “No thank you Frank; I’ve already been baptized the right way!”
One of her greatest joys was helping raise her niece and nephew. Later in life her niece would give Bettye her first and only “grandchild,” and her nephew would give her several dogs and her first gray hair.
Another of Bettye’s great accomplishments that she rarely spoke of was being an honorary member of a motorcycle gang, the Wells Angels.
Bettye has had many honors in her career span of 60 plus years; one of those was having a building, the Bettye Quinn Alumni House & Welcome Center, dedicated in her honor. She once said, “They usually only name a building after you if you have donated $1 million or died, neither of which I have done so far.”
Some of her serious awards include Outstanding Educator in America in 1965, Alpha Theta Professor of the Year, Belhaven Alumna of the Year, Legacy of Learning and Belhaven Leadership Council Faculty of the Year.
Dr. Bettye Quinn served as head of elementary education at Belhaven University for 54 years, worked part-time at Baptist Hospital for 65 years, and taught Sunday school for 74 years. She has been a true and faithful servant her entire life.
For more accolades, visit https://youtu.be/QMbxp-fKA8o
We would have loved to listed all of them, but we couldn’t afford it.
Services will be Monday, May 8, 2020 at 1 PM at Sebrell Funeral Home with burial following at Cedar Lawn Cemetery. The visitation begins at 11 AM until 1 PM.
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