POTD: Remembering Betty

POTD: Remembering BettyWhen We Were Young
photo by Betty Duff Lewis
Lyndon, Kansas
circa 1963

My Aunt Betty died yesterday morning. I posted this photo she took of me many years ago because she was an artist in her own right and had an interest in photography and this was the only thing I could put my hands on that she had produced.

I grew up around Betty’s artwork, from her teenage drawings of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley in her bedroom at home to the various paintings hanging around my parents’ and grandparents’ homes as well as her own home over the years..

She was an active photographer in her college days (when she took the above photo of me) and has always had an interest in my work. She had a degree in art and taught art for several years, so was way more knowledgeable about the basics of composition etc. than I am. I could tell when a photo of mine seemed to work; she could tell me why it worked.  I will miss our email exchanges that started with her response to a particular POTD but ended up being newsy accounts of family and other things.

I will remember her happy chuckle, always cheerful and smiling as in this photo of the two of us from a few years ago taken by my cousin Connie. (Note the painting by Betty in the background, and the birthday cake she made for me because I was smart enough to visit on my birthday.)

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9 thoughts on “POTD: Remembering Betty”

  1. I’m sorry for your loss. It sounds like you had a continuing relationship with Betty that you will miss. So neat that you and she had art to share!

    I just pulled up photos from your parents’ 50th anniversary celebration – to see if there were any photos with Betty (there are some nice ones of the four sisters). Quite a few of us in those photos are no longer here.

    Sweet photo of you!

    1. Thanks Carol. That’s perhaps a downside of looking at old photos–they remind us of the impermanence of life. Or maybe that’s a good thing in a way as it reminds us to “sieze the day.”

  2. Sorry for your loss. She sounds like an accomplished artist and someone who recognized and supported your shared interests early on. Was she your mothers or fathers sister?

  3. Michelle Blackwood

    A nice tribute to Betty. I too will always remember her smile and chuckle. I’m sure she had to deal with some health issues through the years, but always seemed so happy with life. It is really great that you and she were able to share art and what worked and what didn’t.
    She will be missed.
    Michelle

  4. Sorry for your loss, Larry. It seems like you had a great friendship with her – both artistically and personally. Was she the one who always posted the cup of morning coffee on FB? The memories are great, aren’t they?

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