Betty Hoard King

She was born in Charlotte on July 14, 1934, growing up in the former mill village of NODA. She graduated from Tech HS before staring a successful 41 year career with Sears. Betty was a natural and strong leader and although she wasn’t the CEO of Sears, most will say she ran it.

Betty’s life is marked by her selfless servanthood for her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. A member of Plaza Baptist Church for over 50 years, she was known as the female version of the Apostle Peter; she was a rock, a pillar of the church. She was there every time the doors opened. After retiring in 1995, Betty didn’t actually retire; she reinvented herself, pouring her life into the church and selfless service for Christ and her family. At Plaza, Betty started several ministries including the Shut In Visitation Ministry. She, accompanied by some close church member friends, would spend every single Monday, and many weeks also Tuesday’s, visiting the church’s shut in’s and those in the their homes, hospitals and nursing homes bringing love and care to those who were unable to make it to church. In addition, she was a founder of the Wednesday night Community Ministry, that opened the church every Wednesday night to the community’s poor and underserved, providing many the only hot meal they would get each week. Feeding and serving the “least of these” was a way to really feed them by providing a church service for them after supper. Many lives were transformed for Christ and this ministry still lives on today.

Betty is survived by her loving husband Arthur, step-son Jeff, sister Shirley Thompson and husband Tommy and sister Inez Braswell; three nephews and three nieces and other loving family members.

She is preceded in death by her father and mother David and Nellie Hoard, sisters Nancy Rumple and Elizabeth Mangum.

Visitation will be held from 3:00 to 4:00p.m., followed by a memorial service starting at 4:00p.m. on Sunday, April 1st at Plaza Baptist Church, 3321 The Plaza, Charlotte, NC 28205. The burial will be a family only service at Sunset Memory Gardens on Monday April 2nd.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorial contributions be sent to the American Kidney Fund, www.kidneyfund.org.

Arrangements are by McEwen Derita Chapel. Online condolences may be made at www.mcewenderitachapel.com.

Betty will indeed be a Jewel in Heaven and she was most certainly, a Jewel on earth.