Obituary for Betty Jane Bellamy
Betty Jane (nee Rogers) Bellamy, 83, of Mentor, passed away Sunday, March 27, 2022, at Brookdale of Mentor.
Born Aug. 10, 1938, in Red Star, Fayette County, W.Va., she was the daughter of the late Alice E. (nee Coulter) Rogers and William E. “Ed” Rogers.
She was a devoted daughter, loving mother, sister, aunt, great-aunt and friend to countless. She will be missed by so many and remembered for her willingness to help anyone in any way she could, especially her family which always came first. Betty loved having her family together and opened her home for all family occasions, birthdays, holidays, weddings and funerals.
Betty grew up in West Virginia, living at Westerly and Mahan on Paint Creek before moving to Ansted in 1956. She attended Kingston schools through 11th grade, where she was always an honor student. She was the spelling champion in the 6th grade, a majorette and cheerleader in high school. She was voted Miss Sophomore and was runner-up for Miss Mountaineer. Betty graduated from Ansted High School in 1957, and was in the top 10 of her class in academic standing. She also took many courses at Lakeland Community College and the Auburn Career Center.
Betty’s father was a coal miner and was diagnosed with black lung disease, which caused his death in 1957. She, along with other members of her family, came to Cleveland to obtain employment due to lack of opportunities in West Virginia. She started coming to Cleveland when she was 15 and worked as a waitress during the summers to earn money for school clothing and supplies. Betty also saved enough money to have a telephone installed (PRIORITY) and pay for it until the next summer.
She came to Cleveland in March of 1958 and worked for National City Bank in the International Banking Department. In 1961, Betty joined Jay F. Zook Mortgage Loan Company in their accounting department. She worked there until 1965.
She met her future husband, Roy R. Bellamy in 1960. They married Nov. 25, 1961, and had their only child, Mark K. Bellamy on June 12, 1966. Roy and Betty divorced Dec. 19, 1980, and she never remarried.
Betty became a tax preparer in 1969, working for H&R Block. She became a realtor in 1975 and worked for Citie Realty in Wickliffe until 1984 and was associated with Stanmor Realty in Willoughby until her retirement in 2004. She became a Notary in 1975, and eventually was known by many people as the notary on Bellflower. Betty was a member of the national and local associations of Realtors. She started her own tax preparer service while associated with Citie Realty. She also worked at Beneficial Tax Service and Kelly Services in the 1980s during the bad times in the real estate industry to survive and provide for herself and her son. Betty continued her tax business out of her home until her health problems made it impossible. Her clients considered her their friend and advisor. Much time was spent each year catching up with all the happenings of her clients in the previous year and all her happenings good and bad. She never had to advertise. Her tax clients recommended her to their family and friends to the point that she had to ask them not to do it. She was just too busy and in failing health.
Betty loved dancing, especially ballroom dancing. She told everyone if she died while dancing not to be concerned. That would be fine, because she would die doing something she loved. She also loved Las Vegas and the slot machines anywhere. Betty loved her flowers and garden, Myrtle Beach, Aruba, Cadillacs and her memories of growing up in West Virginia, especially the old Westerly swimming hole. She had been a volunteer for the American Red Cross Bloodmobile in the 1980s. She also attended Wickliffe Presbyterian Church for many years, where she was a willing volunteer for any project, including Sunday School teacher.
She is survived by her son, Mark K. Bellamy of Mentor, whom she loved more than life itself; very special nephew, Edward G. (Melissa) Calhoun of Ripley, W.Va., who was more like a son than a nephew; nephews, David (Linda) Hammaker of Ft. Mills, S.C., Michael (Tina) Rogers of Mentor, Chuck Beck of Tennessee, Donald Joe Rogers of Alabama and Joseph Rogers of Rand, W.Va.; nieces, Sharon (Gary) Pike of Raleigh, N.C., Michelle (Doug) Reed of Painesville Township, Judy Kuralt of Cuyahoga Falls, Pearl Higgins of Buckhannon, W.Va., Cheryl, Debra and Tyrena Rogers of Rand, W.Va., Rhonda (Steve) Key of Oxford, Ala., and Sandra Casey of Clarksburg, Pa.; many great, great-great-nieces and nephews; and brother-in-law, Farrell Forrest of Clarksburg, Pa.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Virginia R. (Glenn, dec.) Calhoun, Zenia A. Beck, Rose M. Forrest and L. Ann (Kenneth, dec.) Hammaker; brothers, Edward C. Rogers, Rudolph J. Rogers, Joseph L. (Patricia, dec.) Rogers and Jack Rogers; nephews, Tommy Hammaker and Michael Blair Puffenbarger III; great-nephew, Derek Hammaker; and sister-in-law, Darlene (nee Garrow) Rogers. Her grandparents were deceased before her birth.
Family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 1, at McMahon-Coyne-Vitantonio Funeral Home, 6330 Center St. (Route 615, north of Route 2), in Mentor, where a funeral service will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, April 2. Burial will follow at Mentor Cemetery, 6881 Hopkins Road, Mentor.
To leave condolences for the family or order flowers, visit www.MCVfuneralhomes.com.
Born Aug. 10, 1938, in Red Star, Fayette County, W.Va., she was the daughter of the late Alice E. (nee Coulter) Rogers and William E. “Ed” Rogers.
She was a devoted daughter, loving mother, sister, aunt, great-aunt and friend to countless. She will be missed by so many and remembered for her willingness to help anyone in any way she could, especially her family which always came first. Betty loved having her family together and opened her home for all family occasions, birthdays, holidays, weddings and funerals.
Betty grew up in West Virginia, living at Westerly and Mahan on Paint Creek before moving to Ansted in 1956. She attended Kingston schools through 11th grade, where she was always an honor student. She was the spelling champion in the 6th grade, a majorette and cheerleader in high school. She was voted Miss Sophomore and was runner-up for Miss Mountaineer. Betty graduated from Ansted High School in 1957, and was in the top 10 of her class in academic standing. She also took many courses at Lakeland Community College and the Auburn Career Center.
Betty’s father was a coal miner and was diagnosed with black lung disease, which caused his death in 1957. She, along with other members of her family, came to Cleveland to obtain employment due to lack of opportunities in West Virginia. She started coming to Cleveland when she was 15 and worked as a waitress during the summers to earn money for school clothing and supplies. Betty also saved enough money to have a telephone installed (PRIORITY) and pay for it until the next summer.
She came to Cleveland in March of 1958 and worked for National City Bank in the International Banking Department. In 1961, Betty joined Jay F. Zook Mortgage Loan Company in their accounting department. She worked there until 1965.
She met her future husband, Roy R. Bellamy in 1960. They married Nov. 25, 1961, and had their only child, Mark K. Bellamy on June 12, 1966. Roy and Betty divorced Dec. 19, 1980, and she never remarried.
Betty became a tax preparer in 1969, working for H&R Block. She became a realtor in 1975 and worked for Citie Realty in Wickliffe until 1984 and was associated with Stanmor Realty in Willoughby until her retirement in 2004. She became a Notary in 1975, and eventually was known by many people as the notary on Bellflower. Betty was a member of the national and local associations of Realtors. She started her own tax preparer service while associated with Citie Realty. She also worked at Beneficial Tax Service and Kelly Services in the 1980s during the bad times in the real estate industry to survive and provide for herself and her son. Betty continued her tax business out of her home until her health problems made it impossible. Her clients considered her their friend and advisor. Much time was spent each year catching up with all the happenings of her clients in the previous year and all her happenings good and bad. She never had to advertise. Her tax clients recommended her to their family and friends to the point that she had to ask them not to do it. She was just too busy and in failing health.
Betty loved dancing, especially ballroom dancing. She told everyone if she died while dancing not to be concerned. That would be fine, because she would die doing something she loved. She also loved Las Vegas and the slot machines anywhere. Betty loved her flowers and garden, Myrtle Beach, Aruba, Cadillacs and her memories of growing up in West Virginia, especially the old Westerly swimming hole. She had been a volunteer for the American Red Cross Bloodmobile in the 1980s. She also attended Wickliffe Presbyterian Church for many years, where she was a willing volunteer for any project, including Sunday School teacher.
She is survived by her son, Mark K. Bellamy of Mentor, whom she loved more than life itself; very special nephew, Edward G. (Melissa) Calhoun of Ripley, W.Va., who was more like a son than a nephew; nephews, David (Linda) Hammaker of Ft. Mills, S.C., Michael (Tina) Rogers of Mentor, Chuck Beck of Tennessee, Donald Joe Rogers of Alabama and Joseph Rogers of Rand, W.Va.; nieces, Sharon (Gary) Pike of Raleigh, N.C., Michelle (Doug) Reed of Painesville Township, Judy Kuralt of Cuyahoga Falls, Pearl Higgins of Buckhannon, W.Va., Cheryl, Debra and Tyrena Rogers of Rand, W.Va., Rhonda (Steve) Key of Oxford, Ala., and Sandra Casey of Clarksburg, Pa.; many great, great-great-nieces and nephews; and brother-in-law, Farrell Forrest of Clarksburg, Pa.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Virginia R. (Glenn, dec.) Calhoun, Zenia A. Beck, Rose M. Forrest and L. Ann (Kenneth, dec.) Hammaker; brothers, Edward C. Rogers, Rudolph J. Rogers, Joseph L. (Patricia, dec.) Rogers and Jack Rogers; nephews, Tommy Hammaker and Michael Blair Puffenbarger III; great-nephew, Derek Hammaker; and sister-in-law, Darlene (nee Garrow) Rogers. Her grandparents were deceased before her birth.
Family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 1, at McMahon-Coyne-Vitantonio Funeral Home, 6330 Center St. (Route 615, north of Route 2), in Mentor, where a funeral service will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, April 2. Burial will follow at Mentor Cemetery, 6881 Hopkins Road, Mentor.
To leave condolences for the family or order flowers, visit www.MCVfuneralhomes.com.