June 7, 1928 to September 13, 2019
Betty was born in Pullman, Washington to Rex and Martha Ashby. Betty was raised through the depression with her six sisters and two brothers in Hover and Kennewick, Washington. The family moved to Newburg, Oregon during WWII, where she graduated from high school. After high school, she lived with her sister Rosemary in Walla Walla, and worked at the telephone company. She started on the switchboard and soon she was managing the other operators. It was in Walla Walla where she met her future husband, Floyd Langton, who had recently completed his service in the Navy. Betty worked with Floyd’s sister Gertrude, who arranged an introduction. Soon Betty and Floyd were married. For their honeymoon, they borrowed a car from Gertrude’s husband Ernie and traveled to Federal Way, Washington.
Shortly after the wedding, they moved to Bremerton where Floyd began work in the shipyard. Eventually the family added three sons, Steve, Doug, and Paul, and they purchased their home on Evans Avenue, which they occupied for over 60 years.
The family was heavily involved in camping and fishing, which Betty enjoyed. In addition to doing the family cooking, Betty canned pickles and fruit, and her fruit pies were a family favorite.
Betty worked in clerical and bookkeeping jobs at PSNS and Keyport for over 8 years. She retired from the Naval Torpedo Station at Keyport in the role of Budget Analyst in 1972.
After the boys were grown and Floyd retired, more travel was possible. Trips to Hawaii, Calgary, and family reunions were a regular occurrence. For their 50th wedding anniversary, the kids provided a cruise along Alaska’s coast.
Betty and husband Floyd were long time members of the First Methodist Church in Bremerton, where Betty helped manage church finances. Betty gave generously of her time, volunteering as a tax preparer for AARP for over twenty years. She was honored by Kitsap County as an Outstanding Government Volunteer. In the 1990’s Betty was also an active community participant in the successful litigation, along with the city of Bremerton, against the contractor of the sewer plant near Navy Yard City, resulting in the installation of a cover, which greatly improved the air quality in the neighborhood.
Betty was always interested in creative pursuits. She enjoyed making Della Robbia wreaths, copper wall hangings, oil paintings and hand-sewn quilts. Her paintings and her quilts are lovingly displayed in her children’s homes. She kept up with what was happening in the lives of relatives, and researched family genealogies. Betty wrote short stories and family history, an interest she shared with her sister Rosemary. Betty loved to garden, and she and Floyd had the prettiest garden on the block.
Betty was dedicated to family and showed her love through her gifts and hospitality. Kids and grandkids would gather at the family home at Christmas and for birthdays, and make trips to the cabin in Mason County that the family built in the 1960’s. Family reunions of Langton or Ashby clans were a favorite summer activity.
Betty was preceded in death by Floyd, her husband of 70 years, parents Rex and Martha Ashby, sisters Margaret, Thelma, Nina, Shirley, and Ellen, and brother Bruce. She is survived by her sister Rosemary and brother David, sons Steve, Doug, and Paul and their wives. She is also survived by seven grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, and four great -great grandchildren.
Betty’s great love for and dedication to her family was remarkable, and her home was always a welcome place for family visits. She will be greatly missed.
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