Betty Jane Pipes

Betty Meggs Pipes, 100, passed away peacefully on March 20, 2025. Betty was born October 24, 1924 in Ft Worth, Texas to Nina and Bryan Meggs the elder of their two daughters. During the depression the family moved to Nina’s mother’s (Grandma Prather’s) dairy farm out in country near Bedford, Texas where Betty began school. After a house fire and an improving economy, the family of four moved back to Ft Worth where she finished school and entered TCU as a violin performance music major.

At the intermission of the TCU orchestra Christmas program, they announced bombing of Pearl Harbor. During the war she found a job as secretary to the agent at the Southern Pacific Railroad office where she worked until she married Charles Pipes on June 20, 1946.

Betty served as a USAF wife for over 20 years while raising their four children: David, Mary, Beth, and Bryan. They were stationed in Texas, New Mexico, Puerto Rico, North Carolina, northern and southern California, and the Philippines. Betty developed a love of travel, especially by ship. As an air force wife, she visited Hong Kong, Japan, the US Virgin Island, Panama, and Bangkok. When she and Charles settled in Houston, they went to Alaska, Copper Canyon Mexico, England and France, back to Puerto Rico and the Panama Canal, and many Caribbean cruises. As a widow she continued to enjoy cruises going on many with family including one of the final crossings of the QEII from New York to Southhampton, England.

Betty, with her lovely soprano voice, found churches and attended regularly wherever they lived. Her faith colored every aspect of her life. For a midweek women’s bible class, she wrote a guide to young women on the cusp of marriage, “It Matters Whom You Marry.” She summarized her guide with “Don’t marry someone who is not seeking to love you as Christ loved the church. Marry someone who knows and demonstrates the love of Christ.”

Betty read. She read constantly, extensively, and broadly. She loved murder mysteries with detailed settings and characters whose lives would educate her about different countries, cultures, and societies. She studied her Bible and could expound on shortcomings of theological questions such as pre- and post-millennialism. Until she lost her vision, every year she read through the Bible “lots of interesting things hidden in those begats.” Her favorite Psalms were the 42nd, the 119th, and the 121st.

She loved music of many kinds, classical, popular (up to a point) but hymns most of all. Her favorites included The Lord Bless You and Keep You and The New Song, “oh to hear the angels singing to bid me welcome to mansions bright and fair . . .” She loved songs that showcased our a cappella singing. She knew many hymns by heart and would sing them easily.

She was an accomplished seamstress, a creative knitter, and a lover of crossword puzzles. She shared her love of knitting with many younger family members. With friends and family around the world she kept an active correspondence for many years and adapted easily to email. In her final years she made friends and was blessed with very loving staff and caregivers.

Betty is preceded in death by her parents, her sister Marian, her son David, and her husband of almost 63 years, Charles. She is survived by K Pipes of Houston, Mary and Charles McLane of Ft. Worth, Beth Cook of Clifton, and Bryan and Dee Pipes of Houston; grandchildren, Jolene and Carl Sinkule, Bryan Andrew McLane, Jill Oliver and Maston Burgess, James and Sara McLane, Damon and Bianca Easter, Monica and Joseph Niles; great grandchildren; nieces and nephews and more.

2 Timothy 4:7 & 8

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.