Beth Watkins passed peacefully in her sleep on December 27th, 2022, in Marietta, Georgia, and is preceded in death by her parents, Betty and Chester (Chet) Ball, and her brother, Chester (Teddy) Ball, Jr. Beth is survived by her beloved husband of almost 48 years, John, and her seven children: Stephanie (Drew) Muller, Jennifer Suggs, Valerie (Frank) Johnson, Rebecca (Scott) Thach, Mackenzie (John) Arnold, Nathaniel (Tiffany) Watkins, and Allison Watkins; along with her eight precious grandchildren: Christopher, Alexander, and Nicholas Muller; Shannon Suggs; Chad and Jessica Arnold; Abigail Watkins; and James Thach. She is also survived by her brother, Stuart (Sue Nichols) Ball.
Beth was born on September 26th, 1946, in Hilliard, Ohio. She attended Hilliard High School, and after graduation she attended Marshall College and The Ohio State University where she met her first husband, Lance Helman, from Dayton, Ohio, and had two amazing daughters (Stephanie and Jennifer). While attending her ten-year high school reunion, she met up with her high school prom date, John Watkins. The pair was married a few months later on December 29, 1974. After living in multiple states and adding five more children to the family (Valerie, Rebecca, Mackenzie, Nathaniel & Allison), they finally settled in Marietta, Georgia, in 1992, where they have remained.
Beth was raised in the United Methodist Church and called many different congregations her home; with the most recent being Mountain View United Methodist Church in Marietta. She was a very active parishioner and participated on numerous committees. Beth’s life was always busy; she was a constant presence and supporter for her children’s passions. She never missed a concert, performance, game, or special event. She was a leader for their groups by organizing activities, creating costumes and props, and serving on the board of various booster clubs from elementary school through high school. Her support continued with her grandchildren as she encouraged and attended their many activities and interests. Beyond supporting her church and family activities, Beth also helped her family raise dogs, cats, lizards, snakes, hamsters, rabbits, birds, and many more.
In addition to her biological children, she and John were foster parents and hosted many foreign exchange students. She passed along her love of reading, traveling, music, and animals to all the children that she called her own, whether from birth or not. She and John strived to show all the children as much of the country as possible, picking random destinations, driving hours to get there, and, most importantly, creating amazing memories for everyone. She read aloud to her children until they were in middle school, a tradition cherished by each of them. Beth also passed her love of music onto her children by educating them in classic musicals and folk music; she would even throw a few favorite hymns in there. She will be deeply missed by her friends, family, and all whom have been blessed by her sweet soul.
A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, January 14th at 1:00pm, followed by Repast, at Mountain View United Methodist Church, 2300 Jamerson Rd., Marietta, Georgia. Senior Pastor, Dr. Joe McKechnie and retired pastor, Dr. Orin Sampson, will officiate. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to your local animal rescue group.
“The song may have ended, but the music lingers on.”
-Irving Berlin
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