Betty Lou (Hester) Morris died unexpectedly on August 4, 2026, at The Health Center at
Research Park in Huntsville, Alabama. She was 69 years old.
Born on February 22, 1957, to William and Edna (Talley) Hester in Guntersville, Alabama, Betty
was the second of two children and was raised in Diamond. An avowed troublemaker in
childhood, Betty enjoyed playing with her cousin and best friend Grady and seeing what kind of
trouble they could get up to. She also enjoyed coming up with ways to annoy her sister. Betty
attended Warrenton Elementary, Carlisle Park Junior High, and Guntersville High Schools
before attending college early at Snead State Junior College. She would go on to get her
degree in Accounting at the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 1979.
Betty held many jobs over the years, including at Service Merchandise, Walmart, Child’s World,
Animal Emergency Clinic, Huntsville Hospital, and for Huntsville City Schools’ After School
program. One of the most consequential jobs for Betty was at Church’s Fried Chicken in
Gadsden, Alabama. It was there that she met Robert “Bob” Morris. She came home from work
complaining to Edna about how awful he was, to which Edna told her, “You’re going to marry
him one day.” On September 19, 1982, Betty and Bob were married at Hillwood Baptist Church
in Huntsville. Less than two years later, their only biological child, Janet, was born.
In addition to chaperoning field trips and assisting with class parties, Betty volunteered her time
at Janet’s schools, working with the Good Citizenship Program at Farley Elementary School and
for the Challenger Middle School Choir Parent Association, serving as Treasurer for that from
1996-1998. She helped plan trips the choir would take to Atlanta, Birmingham, Chicago, and
Tuscaloosa.
Creativity was an important part of Betty’s life. She learned to play the piano as a child after
Grandmother Hester bought her a piano. She would also learn to play the ukulele and the
mandolin. While at UAH, she was in the choir as a second soprano. She taught herself how to
sew and paid for her college degree by making clothes. Betty also enjoyed drawing, writing,
crocheting, and doing cross-stitch. She would draw random ideas for home improvement, and,
when she was physically able, she would work on making those ideas a reality.
Betty loved animals, even raising hamsters and guinea pigs to be sold at a local pet store for a
few years. She had also had ducks, fish, cats, and dogs as pets. Even when she was receiving
care out of her home, she would ask about her beloved dog.
Her health had become increasingly fragile over the last 18 years, as her kidney disease
progressed and impacted multiple organ systems as it did. Eventually she needed to enter a
skilled nursing facility. She had a great relationship with most of those who provided her care at
doctors’ offices, dialysis, and the nursing home. She treasured the kindness of many of them
greatly, and would stock up on her nurses’ favorite snacks during her stay.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents and in-laws, Robert and Clarice Morris. She is
survived by her husband Bob, daughter Janet and son-in-law Chris Richards, daughter
Stephanie Sparks, son Elijah Burns, grandchild Owen Richards, sister Barbara and
brother-in-law Danny Sterling, nephew Eric and niece-in-law Eileen Sterling, grandnephew Will
Sterling, and many cousins. She is also survived by the family’s dachshund Amy Pond.
The memorial service will be August 29, 2026, at noon at the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints at 2110 Byrd Springs Road in Huntsville.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donating to the National Kidney Foundation
or giving the gift of life by donating blood. Over the years, Betty needed repeated blood
transfusions due to her kidney disease.
