Bettye Gehring Gardner

Bettye was born on the 9th of November 1918, in Houston, to Herman F. Gehring and Mae Runyan Gehring.

Bettye was an icon in the Houston entertainment world for decades. She was known for her singing and dancing, and even more, for the teaching of both of those talents to others. Bettye sang for many years with the Houston Grand Opera and was awarded the Tommy Tune Award by Theatre Under the Stars for her outstanding achievement and contribution to the theatre community of Houston. She was a founder of Opera in the Heights and head of the Merry Go Round Theatre at the Alley Theatre for 25 years.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Herman F. Gehring, Jr.; her sister, Ella Mae Gehring; and nephew, Larry E. Gehring. She is survived by her nephew, Kurt Gehring and his wife Greta, of Amarillo; her sister-in-law, Saranne Gehring, also of Amarillo; two grand-nephews, Dr. Taylor Gehring and his wife Chelsea, and Reid Gehring and his wife Natasha; grand-niece, Lauren Gehring Eames and her husband Andrew; six great grand-nieces and nephews, Madeline, Laina, Charlotte, Colter, Aubrey, and John David.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o'clock in the afternoon until seven o'clock in the evening on Wednesday, the 19th of March, in the drawing room of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

The funeral service is to be conducted at ten o'clock in the morning on Thursday, the 20th of March, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons.

Interment is to follow, via an escorted cortege, at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery in Houston.

Bettye was always full of wisdom, wit, and love for those around her. Even as her health began to fail her, she maintained her incredible positive spirit and her faith in God. No doubt, she was welcomed into Heaven with “Job well done, my good and faithful servant.”