Betty Lou Palumbo

Born Betty Lou Swain on August 19, 1922 in Columbus, Ohio to Elizabeth Faye and Floyd Edgar Swain, she spent every day of her 97 years being loving, kind and compassionate to every person she met.

Betty married the love of her life, Carmen Anthony Palumbo, on December 28, 1944.

When they met at a USO dance during World War II, Betty was a telephone operator in Dayton, Ohio.

She loved to tell the stories of how, when she was the night supervisor at the telephone company, she would often tell soldiers calling their mothers from wherever they were stationed to "stay on the line after your call is complete," and then she'd push a button so their coins would be returned to them at the pay phones ("Those boys calling their moms just broke my heart," she'd say).

That was Betty Lou.

Together, Betty and Carmen built successful businesses and, most importantly, a loving family for their only child, their daughter, Terri Ann.

Betty loved nothing better than dancing up a storm with Carmen (June 17, 1917 - August 19, 2003), whether at a club, restaurant or at home in their living room, and Terri is sure they are dazzling all their heavenly friends and family with their fabulous footwork right now.

She loved a good party, a good cocktail, a good laugh, and her many, many friends of all ages, particularly her WOWs (Widows Or Widowers) social group friends with whom she enjoyed many wonderful times for over a decade.

Betty was remarkable and unforgettable for so many reasons.

Deeply faithful, she truly lived the teachings of Christ, with an open heart and open arms for all.

She always prayed for a peaceful death, and for that, those who loved and knew her are very grateful.

Whether she was watching a baseball game or the news, dancing along to music on the radio, cooking, caring for her pets, chatting with friends, watching "The Young and the Restless," or reading the newspaper, every single thing she did was done with joy.

When Carmen passed away, Betty told Terri that the main comfort was that there was nothing left unsaid or unresolved, and no regrets between the two of them. Their deep love for each other over their nearly 60 years of marriage was a gift that they each treasured.

Betty believed that Carmen passing away on her birthday was not something to be sad about each year, but just one more way for him to let her know how eternally significant she was to him. Each subsequent year on her birthday, after the family and friends celebrating was complete, Terri and Betty would toast Carmen and reminisce about all their wonderful times together.

Betty was an endlessly loving mother, best friend, confidante and frequent partner in shenanigans with Terri, who remains blessed by every single one of the million moments they shared together.

She wanted to be remembered by all who loved her for the happy times, her quick wit and hilarious sense of humor, and her compassionate nature.

Betty also wanted those left behind to cherish her in their hearts and memories as she loved and cherished them, Terri most of all.

Although she broke a hip in a fall (while out having dinner with her beloved WOWs group) in August 2019, which ultimately led to nursing home care, right up until her last moment, Betty was cheerful, interested in politics and the news, and enthusiastic about activities, bingo, painting classes, jigsaw puzzles and her new friends at the facility - even though the pandemic nursing home lockdown forced a physical separation from Terri on March 12th, thus ending the many hours they shared together in person every day since her hip surgery.

Two days before her passing, Betty and Terri shared their weekly Facetime chat, and ended it as they did every time by saying "I love you" to each other over and over, and blowing each other kisses, and that is how Terri chooses to remember her beautiful mom, Betty Lou: radiant, optimistic, never holding anything back, and always saying whatever was in her heart and on her mind.

Services will be private due to the pandemic, and Terri looks forward to celebrating the life of Betty Lou Palumbo in the future with her family and friends.

It will be a party to remember, just as she wanted.

In addition to Carmen and her parents, Betty was predeceased by her elder sister, Alice Lucille Cooley.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Betty's name to organizations that were important to her, and to which she frequently donated: St. Jude's Children's Hospital (https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html?sc_icid=header-btn-donate-now),St. Benedict's Abbey (https://www.benetlake.org/donate/), or The Inner Truth Project (https://innertruthproject.org/donate/).