Betsy Robb Brown
August 15, 2021 b. May 3, 1976 – d. August 13, 2021
By Vicki Robb
Her given name was Elizabeth, which was her Great-Grandmother Hallman’s name. It seemed too big a name for a tiny person when she was born, so we called her Betsy.
She died peacefully in her sleep, at her home in Guntersville, AL, after decades of enduring painful and debilitating autoimmune problems such as lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome, & fibromyalgia. She was 45. Fitzpatrick, her marmalade rescue cat, was with her. He was the light of her life.
She was the Gallery Manager at Mountain Valley Arts Council (MVAC), where she enjoyed immensely her contact with artists and patrons of the gallery. One friend said what she will miss most is Betsy’s megawatt smile, which made everyone feel welcome.
Betsy grew up in La Jolla, California, and attended Bird Rock Elementary School, Muirlands Junior High and La Jolla High School, where she graduated in 1994.
The happiest years of her life were at Auburn University, where she served as a Camp War Eagle counselor for incoming freshmen, and as a Little Sister of Farmhouse Fraternity. She graduated with a B.S. in Psychology in 1998. Football was her favorite season; she was a fan from childhood. She understood the game and could have called the defense if you needed her to.
Betsy worked as a para-pro elementary school teacher in Georgia, and as a receptionist in real estate offices in California. In Birmingham she held jobs as a tutor for autistic children, and as a barista making first-rate, highly caffeinated coffee drinks. Assisting with the children’s art workshops at MVAC was a joy to her.
She is survived by her mother, Vicki Robb, by aunts and uncles Becky and Ken Scheinert of Guntersville, Lucy and Ray Russell of Aub, Germany, and Margaret and Bob Petersen of Poway, CA, as well as her father and stepmother, Ken and Leslie Robb of La Jolla, CA, and eight cousins. Mike and Mandy Bliss and Elsbeth of Louisville, KY, were highly regarded as her extended family.
A small, socially distanced outdoor memorial service will be held beside Lake Guntersville at the Rotary Cabin, 800-898 Sunset Drive, on Saturday, August 21 at 3 p.m.
Any memorial donations may be sent to Kitty Kat Haven & Rescue (formerly MomaKat Rescue) https://kittykathavenrescue.org, where she acquired her cat Fitzpatrick, or to Mountain Valley Arts Council, 440 Gunter Avenue, Guntersville, AL 35976, for children’s outreach.
