|
Andrew J. (Andy) Betts, 86, passed away peacefully on Monday, April 30, 2007. Andy was the son of Claude and Ester McElroy Betts. He had one sister and one brother, both of whom preceded him in death. He was married to Jacqueline Fox Betts for 62 years and was the father of three children, LaVette Ulichnie (Tony) of Flower Mound, TX, Chris Alan Betts, Ph.D. (Betty) who preceded him in death, and Gary John Betts, Ph.D. of Albuquerque. Andy had three grandchildren, Jacqueline Ulichnie, Jason Ulichnie (Erin), and Jordan Ulichnie (Nicole); and two great-grandchildren, Jake and Jared Ulichnie, all of the Dallas area. Born on May 26, 1920 in Farmer, SD, he grew up in Mitchell, SD and moved to Rapid City, SD his senior year of high school. Andy graduated South Dakota School of Mines with a B.S. in Geology where he also participated in track. He once ran a race against Jesse Owens after the 1936 Munich Olympics and beat him. Andy worked for AC Spark Plug Company in Flint, Michigan as a ceramic engineer perfecting and testing spark plugs for bombers in WWII and received an award for figuring out a serious problem in the production of war parts. Andy and Jackie met in 1944 marrying in 1945 in Oklahoma before moving to Texas. Andy worked in the oil business as a petroleum exploration geologist for many years in the Permian Basin in West Texas. He and his family lived for 20 years in Midland, TX. In 1967 he moved to Grants, NM where he became a uranium exploration geologist for Homestake Mining Company. He retired in 1980 and lived in Albuquerque for the remainder of his life. The last 4 years he and Jackie lived at La Vida Llena Retirement Community. Andy was a member of the American Institute of Professional Geologists, the New Mexico Geological Society, and the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers. Andy loved to play golf and remained active in the sport until suffering a broken back 5 years before his death. Andy's Memorial Service will be on Saturday, May 5, 2007 at 3 p.m. at: La Vida Llena Memorial Chapel 10501 Lagrima De Oro, Albuquerque, NM 87111 Call La Vida Llena at 296-6700 for directions. In lieu of flowers, please memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice or to Presbyterian Hospice, 8100 Constitution NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110. French Mortuary 10500 Lomas Blvd. NE 275-3500 www.frenchmortuary.com
|
