Betty was born on November 15, 1931, in Perkasie, PA to Walter and Mable (Slifer) Kinsey. She graduated from Sellerville-Perkasie High School in 1949, and in 1953 moved to Washington, D.C. She was married to Walter Nye in 1954. After raising her children in Alexandria, VA, she worked as a secretary for the Department of Defense at Fort Belvoir, VA, and in the Pentagon, where she rose to become the personal secretary to three Judge Advocate Generals in the U.S. Army and Air Force.
Betty was known as the “wit of the class” in high school (according to the editors of her 1949 yearbook) and put that talent to work over her life, composing doggerel poems for family, friends, and co-workers on any occasion of note. Throughout her secretarial career she also won commendations for her dedication and hard work from Senior Officers and Generals in the Defense Department. After her retirement from the government in 1995, she moved to Bonita Springs, FL, where she worked as a receptionist for Downing-Frye Realty in Naples, FL, on a part-time basis for many years.
A resident of Bonita Springs for 26 years, Betty enjoyed an independent and active lifestyle with daily walks on Bonita Beach, swimming at the Vanderbilt Lakes pool, riding her bike (which she did into her 80’s), playing bridge and taking several cruise ship vacations.
Betty was preceded in death by the father of her children, Walter Nye, as well as her brother Charles Kinsey (Angel) of Fort Myers, FL, and two sisters, Doris Hockman of Perkasie, PA, and Shirley Jones (Ed) of Fort Payne, AL. She is survived by her two children, Gregory Nye (Haddya) of Wethersfield, CT, and Bonnie Kowalczyk of Naples, FL, two grandchildren, Alexander Nye (Perry) of Glastonbury, CT, and Jonathan Nye (Helen) of Wethersfield, CT, and three nieces, Patti Fleming (Jack) of New Bern, NC, Jill Batman (Barry) of Leland, NC, and Sharon Jones Mince of Hoover, AL.
At Betty’s request, there will be no funeral or memorial service. Instead, her family asks friends, colleagues and loved ones to consider making a donation to Hope Healthcare, 9470 HealthPark Circle, Fort Myers, FL 33908,
https://hopehcs.org whose extraordinary team of compassionate doctors, nurses, social workers and volunteers provided care and support to Betty and her family through their Hope Hospice program.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.hodgesfhatnaplesmg.com for the Nye family.
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