Betty Jean Young Gillespie

Betty, the first child of Clyde and Mabel (Mairs) Young, was born at home on Feb. 28, 1928, in Pocatalico, West Virginia, an unincorporated area of Sissonville. She graduated from Sissonville High School in 1945 and met her husband, Jack Dillon Gillespie, while working at Union Carbide in South Charleston, West Virginia. She and Jack were married on Oct. 7, 1950, in Charleston, West Virginia.

With the birth of her first child, Betty became a full-time homemaker, and Jack’s career took them to numerous places throughout their 40 years of marriage. In addition to their home in Dunbar, West Virginia, the family lived in Munster, Indiana; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Victoria, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana; Texas City, Texas; and Port Huron, Michigan. They moved to La Porte in 1977.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Jack, who passed away in March 1991; and four brothers—Orville Young, Donald Young, Bob Young and Jerry Young.

Betty devoted her life to her family and was an amazing mother to her daughters and sons-in-law, Susan and Richard Passmore and Terri and Gary Cook, all of La Porte. She also was an incredible “Mimmee” to her five grandchildren—Shala Holland Gallagher of Houston; Ashley Holland Shibley and husband, Adam, of Mont Belvieu; Ross Cook and wife, Katy, of Seabrook; Rand Cook and wife, Ashley, of Pearland; and Rhett Cook and girlfriend, Rhonda Jarvis, of La Porte.

The addition of great-grandchildren over the past 11 years gave her tremendous joy. They include Charles Gallagher, Adelyn Shibley, Ace Shibley, Christopher Cook, Cameron Cook, Kennedy Cook, and another Cook baby boy expected in August 2020.

Betty is also survived by her brother, Ken Young of Cheyenne, Wyoming; sister, Gloria Mullens of Ripley, West Virginia; sister-in-law, Kassie Gillespie of Houston; dear friend, Jackie Briggs of La Porte; and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family will receive visitors from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, at Grand View Funeral Home, 8501 Spencer Highway, Pasadena, Texas 77505. A celebration of Betty’s life will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 12, also at the funeral home. Burial will be at Grand View Cemetery in Pasadena.

Pallbearers will be Richard Passmore, Gary Cook, Ross Cook, Rand Cook, Rhett Cook, and Adam Shibley.

For those desiring, the family suggests that donations be made to the Pilot Club of Baytown’s Alzheimer’s Walk Project, P.O. Box 8408, Baytown, Texas 77522-8408; the La Porte Education Foundation, P.O. Box 1272, La Porte, Texas 77572-1272; or the charity of your choice.