Obituary for Elizabeth J. "Betty" Belair (Barr)
Elizabeth “Betty” J. Belair born March 31, 1926 passed away January 7, 2020. Betty was a life-long resident of Akron Ohio. Preceded in death by her parents Edward C. and Mary Lenore Barr, brothers William, Edward, and Richard, and sister Rosemarie, she was also preceded in death by her husband Donald Joseph Belair and son Joseph.
Left to cherish her memory: sons and daughters-in-law: Ed and Laurie and Paul and Joanie Belair;grandchildren: Sarah, Jake, Joe, and Anna, Kristina, Brannon and Jaime;
brother and sister-in-law: Larry and Sally Barr, sister-in-law Marie Morris; and multiple nieces and nephews and cousins.
Betty graduated from St. Vincent Grade School and High School and attended the University of Akron. Don and Betty were married at St. Vincent Church on August 27, 1949. While raising three sons in Firestone Park, Betty served at St. Paul’s Parish as a Lector, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, Parish Council Member and instructor in the Parish School of Religion. Betty also was one of the first hospice volunteers for the Visiting Nurse Service of Akron. She spent many years comforting the sick and dying and caring for their physical and spiritual needs. In 1993, Betty received the Volunteer of the Year Award from the Visiting Nurse Service of Akron. Many other organizations benefitted from Betty’s dedication and willingness to serve such as: The Right to Life Org. of Ohio, Knights of Columbus Ladies’ Auxiliary, Akron-area Cursillo Movement, Diocese Pastoral Council, and the Ohio Bishops’ Advisory Council for the Diocese of Cleveland. Later in life, Don and Betty moved to Stow, Ohio and joined Holy Family Parish where Betty began the Holy Family Caregiver Program to meet the needs of families within the parish.
Betty went through life with a twinkle in her eye that drew everyone in. She was the most gracious, loving person who put everyone above herself. Her faith was the center of her life, but her family was her heart and she gave them all she had. Betty was relentless in serving others. To the end, she lifted up everyone around her with her words of encouragement and her joyful spirit. We have learned so much from her and will truly miss her.
We would like to thank the entire staff at the Village of St. Edwards Fairlawn for five wonderful years of excellent love and care. Through this journey of her dimentia, our goal for Betty was joy, peace, and love – and all of you helped make that possible.
Private funeral services have already taken place.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Village of St. Edwards, Fairlawn.
Left to cherish her memory: sons and daughters-in-law: Ed and Laurie and Paul and Joanie Belair;grandchildren: Sarah, Jake, Joe, and Anna, Kristina, Brannon and Jaime;
brother and sister-in-law: Larry and Sally Barr, sister-in-law Marie Morris; and multiple nieces and nephews and cousins.
Betty graduated from St. Vincent Grade School and High School and attended the University of Akron. Don and Betty were married at St. Vincent Church on August 27, 1949. While raising three sons in Firestone Park, Betty served at St. Paul’s Parish as a Lector, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, Parish Council Member and instructor in the Parish School of Religion. Betty also was one of the first hospice volunteers for the Visiting Nurse Service of Akron. She spent many years comforting the sick and dying and caring for their physical and spiritual needs. In 1993, Betty received the Volunteer of the Year Award from the Visiting Nurse Service of Akron. Many other organizations benefitted from Betty’s dedication and willingness to serve such as: The Right to Life Org. of Ohio, Knights of Columbus Ladies’ Auxiliary, Akron-area Cursillo Movement, Diocese Pastoral Council, and the Ohio Bishops’ Advisory Council for the Diocese of Cleveland. Later in life, Don and Betty moved to Stow, Ohio and joined Holy Family Parish where Betty began the Holy Family Caregiver Program to meet the needs of families within the parish.
Betty went through life with a twinkle in her eye that drew everyone in. She was the most gracious, loving person who put everyone above herself. Her faith was the center of her life, but her family was her heart and she gave them all she had. Betty was relentless in serving others. To the end, she lifted up everyone around her with her words of encouragement and her joyful spirit. We have learned so much from her and will truly miss her.
We would like to thank the entire staff at the Village of St. Edwards Fairlawn for five wonderful years of excellent love and care. Through this journey of her dimentia, our goal for Betty was joy, peace, and love – and all of you helped make that possible.
Private funeral services have already taken place.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Village of St. Edwards, Fairlawn.