Holding the hand of her devoted husband of 61 years and surrounded by treasured family, Bettie St. Clair Perkins peacefully passed from this life to the next on August 15, 2025.
On September 7, 1940, Bettie Joyce St. Clair was born to grocer Elvin Monroe St. Clair and Dorothy Montague St. Clair of Portsmouth, Virginia. Vivacious, spunky, and petite, Bettie was an affectionate and opinionated big sister to Tommy, Jo Ann, and Lynne.
She graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1958 and attended Longwood Teacher’s College. Upon graduation, Bettie rented a small house by the Chesapeake Bay with several friends. She laughingly told the story of how she would volunteer to take out the garbage in the hopes of catching the eye of a tall young Naval officer living next door, William Perkins. It must have worked, because they married December 21, 1963 at Calvary Baptist Church in Portsmouth.
After a brief honeymoon in Washington, D.C., Bettie moved with her new husband to Newark, Ohio, where she taught third grade and he began his career at Owens Corning. She loved to read aloud to her students (especially Charlotte’s Web), and she and William took English bulldogs as pets, one of whom they aptly named Chaucer.
Then, the couple moved to Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where they welcomed their first son, Tim, in 1972. After the family moved to Huntsville, Alabama, twin boys (Rob and Andy) joined the family in 1974. The boys remember a childhood full of casseroles and Bettie’s splendidly decorated birthday cakes, homemade Halloween costumes, and beautifully wrapped present hauls at Christmas so generous that they became the envy of their friends. As her boys grew older, Bettie embraced hobbies like gardening and quilting, making each son his own quilt to celebrate his high school graduation and departure to Auburn University.
Bettie was a true Southern lady, well versed in etiquette and a gracious hostess, but approachable and personable at the same time. She treasured longtime friendships (she was a committed member of her ladies Bible study for decades), but she was always happy to meet someone new. She became an accomplished calligrapher, and joined the Birmingham Calligraphy Guild, first as a member, and later served as president. As their three sons married and had families of their own, Bettie welcomed her daughters-in-law and delighted in being a grandmother. Her lucky grandchildren (her “cherubs”) enjoyed endless stacks of Grandmama’s pancakes and liberal trips to the toy store.
In 2024, Bettie and William sold their Huntsville home of 42 years and moved to a retirement home in Memphis to be near their son Andy and his family, who faithfully cared for them. In her final year, Bettie was diagnosed with metastatic kidney cancer, and quietly lived out her days with her constant William at her side. Bettie used to say that William (whose name means “helmet” or “protection”) had always been the steady, safe protector that she and her children needed.
Bettie is predeceased by her parents, Elvin and Dot St. Clair, and her younger sister, Jo Ann St. Clair. Her memory is cherished by her sons Tim (Sarah), Rob (Ashley), and Andy (Cathy); grandchildren Maisie, Jason, William, Huston, Charlotte, Verity, and Jack; siblings Tommy (Mary) St. Clair and Lynne (Alan) Garner; nieces, nephews, and other family members; and dear friends.
The funeral service will be held on Friday, August 22 at 3:00 p.m. at Laughlin Service Funeral Home in Huntsville, Alabama. Visitation with friends will be from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the funeral home. There will be a family graveside service at Maple Hill cemetery following the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Bettie’s memory to Huntsville Botanical Garden or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
