Betty Lou Tilley

October 7, 1920 - November 27, 2018

Betty Lou Tilley passed away on Tuesday, November 27, 2018 in Prescott, Arizona at age 98. The daughter of a federal official, her memories include White House receptions with Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, and working as a chemist at the National Bureau of Standards in Washington, D.C. She treasured earning her degree from the University of Maryland and became active in charitable work for many years with her sorority sisters from Gamma Phi Beta. Betty Lou later married and moved west with J.W. Tilley, the love of her life for 75 years who preceded her in death. Their love for Prescott began in 1966 with the building of a summer cabin at Highland Pines, followed by permanent residency. In their Prescott home, J.W. and Betty Lou enjoyed their gardening, with special attention to tomatoes, roses and iris. She is survived by son Jim, a Prescott veterinarian, and extended family including two sisters-in-law, Dorothy Tilley and Dot Sullivan of California and Arkansas. The family extends significant appreciation to Drs. Downing, Parson, and Markham, the staff at Highgate Senior Living, Kelly and the staff at Good Samaritan Hospice, and the Marley House for their loving care for Betty Lou.