Obituary for Betty Jo Dickerson (Halterman)
Betty Jo Halterman Dickerson, 87, a long time Winchester native, passed away peacefully at her home on Tuesday, December 10.
Betty Jo was born in Winchester in 1932, the only child of Tom and Sarah Baylis Halterman. She was educated in the Winchester schools and graduated from Handley High School in 1950. She attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority. In 1954, Betty Jo was one of a handful of women who graduated from the undergraduate business program. She was to later earn a Masters of Business Administration from Shenandoah University.
After her college graduation, Betty Jo began working as an Assistant Buyer in the Marshall Field handbag department in Chicago, which likely contributed to her being an unapologetic clothes horse her entire life. She later moved to Richmond, Virginia to be closer to her parents. In Richmond, she continued to work as a buyer at Miller & Rhodes and later served as a probation officer for City of Richmond courts.
In Richmond, she and her first husband, Forrest Parker, had two daughters Elizabeth (Beth) and Joanna (Jody). After a few years as a stay at home mom, she returned to the workforce to teach elementary school in the Chesterfield County school system. She later earned a computer programing certification and went to work for the City of Richmond, where she met her long time best friend and husband, Myron Dickerson.
Betty Jo returned to Winchester after her father died to take care of her mother and taught computer programming at Dowell J. Howard Vocational School and eventually managed the Programming Department at Abex Corporation from which she retired.
Betty Jo actively and passionately supported her community. She was a member of the Fort Loudoun Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (served as Regent), the Business and Professional Women’s Association, the Ann Constable Lee Chapter of the Colonial Dames XVII Century, Spurmont Chapter No. 64 as well as Mackinley Chapter No.19 of the Order of the Eastern Star (served as Worthy Matron), Winchester Chapter of the American Association of University Women, and a lifetime member of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, to name a few. She also served as President of the Shenandoah University Alumni Association and Executive Director of the Literacy Volunteers.
She is survived by her beloved companion and husband, Myron I. Dickerson as well as her daughters and sons in law -- Beth and Bill Henderson (Rye, NY) and Jody and Rob Elson (Winchester, VA), her stepson – Paul Dickerson (Phoenix, AZ) and her four grandchildren – W. Forrest Henderson, Thomas Henderson, Nathan Elson and Sarah Elson.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Blue Ridge Hospice, 333 West Cork Street, Suite 405, Winchester, VA 22601 and Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 26 West Boscawen Street, Winchester, VA 22601.
A celebration of life and memorial service will be held Saturday, December 21 at 1:00 PM at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Winchester followed by a private burial.
Online condolences may be left at www.jonesfuneralhomes.com
Betty Jo was born in Winchester in 1932, the only child of Tom and Sarah Baylis Halterman. She was educated in the Winchester schools and graduated from Handley High School in 1950. She attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority. In 1954, Betty Jo was one of a handful of women who graduated from the undergraduate business program. She was to later earn a Masters of Business Administration from Shenandoah University.
After her college graduation, Betty Jo began working as an Assistant Buyer in the Marshall Field handbag department in Chicago, which likely contributed to her being an unapologetic clothes horse her entire life. She later moved to Richmond, Virginia to be closer to her parents. In Richmond, she continued to work as a buyer at Miller & Rhodes and later served as a probation officer for City of Richmond courts.
In Richmond, she and her first husband, Forrest Parker, had two daughters Elizabeth (Beth) and Joanna (Jody). After a few years as a stay at home mom, she returned to the workforce to teach elementary school in the Chesterfield County school system. She later earned a computer programing certification and went to work for the City of Richmond, where she met her long time best friend and husband, Myron Dickerson.
Betty Jo returned to Winchester after her father died to take care of her mother and taught computer programming at Dowell J. Howard Vocational School and eventually managed the Programming Department at Abex Corporation from which she retired.
Betty Jo actively and passionately supported her community. She was a member of the Fort Loudoun Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (served as Regent), the Business and Professional Women’s Association, the Ann Constable Lee Chapter of the Colonial Dames XVII Century, Spurmont Chapter No. 64 as well as Mackinley Chapter No.19 of the Order of the Eastern Star (served as Worthy Matron), Winchester Chapter of the American Association of University Women, and a lifetime member of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, to name a few. She also served as President of the Shenandoah University Alumni Association and Executive Director of the Literacy Volunteers.
She is survived by her beloved companion and husband, Myron I. Dickerson as well as her daughters and sons in law -- Beth and Bill Henderson (Rye, NY) and Jody and Rob Elson (Winchester, VA), her stepson – Paul Dickerson (Phoenix, AZ) and her four grandchildren – W. Forrest Henderson, Thomas Henderson, Nathan Elson and Sarah Elson.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Blue Ridge Hospice, 333 West Cork Street, Suite 405, Winchester, VA 22601 and Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 26 West Boscawen Street, Winchester, VA 22601.
A celebration of life and memorial service will be held Saturday, December 21 at 1:00 PM at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Winchester followed by a private burial.
Online condolences may be left at www.jonesfuneralhomes.com