Betty Jeanne Berry Sutton passed away in Tampa, Florida on September 16, 2017. Betty was born August 6 or 7, 1928 – depending on the difference between what the doctor mistakenly put at 2 minutes past midnight of the 6th and the actual date of the 7th. Her birthday had always been celebrated on the 7th, but when needing a passport, she discovered the error on her birth certificate. Betty found that you never ask your mother if she is sure about the date of your birth. Betty was born to Ross R. and Eva Troth Berry in Colorado Springs, CO at then Bethel, now Memorial Hospital. She attended Buena Vista Elementary, West Junior, Colorado Springs/Palmer High, Denver University, where she was a member of Delta Zeta sorority, and the University of Northern Colorado. She held numerous jobs in her life, the first when in 8th grade at her Father’s grocery store, Purity Food Store located on South Tejon St. One of her last jobs was managing an EZ Shop, which became a 7-11. She always loved going grocery shopping and later, when visiting her daughters loved going grocery shopping with them. In between the grocery jobs, she worked at Hibbard’s Department Store with the same 2 women her mother had worked with before Betty was born. In 1948 she married William A. Sutton - they later divorced. While Bill attended CU she worked for Esquire-Coronet magazine in Boulder. She worked for Colorado Springs Utilities, Emerson Electric, sold World Book Encyclopedias, sold memberships to a health spa and delivered The Gazette to paper racks. She enjoyed participating in many sports – softball, basketball (city championship in 1945), skiing, tennis, golf, bowling and later watching sporting events on TV. She especially loved the New York Yankees teams of the 1940’s and later the Broncos. She remembers playing touch football on Pearl Harbor Day and didn’t know about the attack until on her way home from Youth League when a neighbor told her and a friend, both of them ran home to tell their parents, they were glued to the radio for days. Betty set up a card table in the living room with maps to keep abreast of troops movements. Betty left Colorado Springs for several years to live in Phoenix and Las Vegas, returning home in 2005 to the shadow of Pikes Peak. She had recently moved to Tampa, FL to be near daughter Becky and son-in-law Ed. She was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Eva Mae Nichols. She is survived by daughters Penny Sutton Maraglia (Frank) and Becky Ann Kobel (Ed), sister Marilyn Graham, several nephews, one of whom - Jeff Graham who was so kind to her in later years, with whom she enjoyed watching sporting events, especially college and Bronco football. There will be no services and cremation, per her request.
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