Betsy Blake

Betsy Blake (Be-Be) was a loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend. Her passing is our loss. She is predeceased by her mother, Maggie S. Ivey Bowden, her father, H.L. Blake, her beloved sister Jane Blake, and beloved son Donald Upchurch.

Betsy will be remembered for her passion for social ballroom dancing. She participated in the different formal clubs i.e. The Toppers Inc, The Esquires Inc, and The Century Club. She danced every Wednesday night at the Pullen Center Wednesday Night Dance Club. Betsy was on The Board of Directors of each club and served as Secretary/Treasurer of The Toppers club for over twenty-five years.

Career wise, Betsy was Office Manager of the surgical practice of Dr. Dwight Davis and Hewitt Rose for 25 years. She continued her career in different medical offices, filling in wherever she was needed. Practices includes Medical Management Consultants of Greensboro, Bunch Rehab, and Physical Therapy, Capital Surgical, The Bone and Joint Surgery Clinic and a brief time with Dr. Patsy Daniels. Betsy’s last employer was Brown- Wynne Funeral Home of Raleigh where she worked on weekends and as needed answering phone calls and helping to assist with preparations. Betsy was instrumental in establishing the first Wake County Chapter of The American Association of Medical Assistants and served as its first president.

Her family was her world. She leaves daughter Becky Coontz and husband Paul of Clayton, Grandsons: Blake Sinclair and fiancé Megan Church of Clayton, and Chazz Upchurch of California, Granddaughters: Heather Upchurch and husband Cesar Montalvo of Smithfield, and Tiffany Monarch and husband Adam of Clayton. Betsy also leaves with hugs and kisses her four Great Granddaughters: Skylar Elaine Upchurch, Mila Nicole Montalvo, Ashlynn Neale Monarch, and Kaleigh Grace Monarch, three Great Grandsons: Austin Monarch, Brantley Church and Sawyer Sinclair, and Nephews: Vanya, Rhett, and Birk and Teresa Mullinax and families.

Also surviving Betsy along with family, are her brothers and sisters of The Methodist Orphanage Alumni Association. She and her sister Jane grew up at The Methodist Orphanage in Raleigh NC.

As Betsy would say with a big hug, “Come gather together!”, hug each other and hug my children. I always told you, “You need eleven hugs a day to be healthy.”

In lieu of flowers, Contributions may be made to The Methodist Orphanage Alumni Association/The Methodist Home for Children.

A memorial service for Betsy will be held Saturday, April 9, 2022 from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 1701 East Millbrook Road, Raleigh, NC 27609, followed by a reception from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.brownwynneeastmillbrook.com for the Blake family.