Bettye Sue Balkin (née Sandler) passed away peacefully on Feb. 3, 2021. She was married for 72 years to Bernard Louis Balkin, who predeceased her by 11 days. She is survived by her daughter, Jan Ellen, of Falls Church, Virginia; Jack Mason Balkin, of Branford, Connecticut; and daughter-in-law, Margret Wolfe, also of Branford.
Her beloved brother, Sheldon P. Sandler, also predeceased her.
Bettye had as many if not more facets to her. She was very protective of her children, even their childhood misdeeds. But not shy about offering her advice to others about their raising their own children.
She enjoyed traveling with Bernard to the American Bar Association mid-winter and summer meetings, despite weather complaints. It offered her the opportunity to visit the main location of fashion design in the U.S., and marketing ideas, her college major. She always ferreted out the best sales. And always granted her daughter’s wishes when she and Jan went to the high-end plus-size store for the latest styles. She was a generous person in that way, and often donated from her own collections to family, friends and the needy.
She loved the parade of roses into the house from Bernard’s backyard garden, and the parade was practically endless seasonally with the array of plantings.
Bettye was “crafty,” painting Modigliani reproductions, mounting self-made needlepoint displays throughout the house, including, unfortunately, the one that became an uncomfortable seating cushion for the chair at Jan’s bedroom desk.
She was funny, intentionally or not. After choir practice with the Ohev Sholom synagogue many decades ago, she came home to show us kids what practice was like, singing “High on a hill stood a lonely gopher...”. She became known as Mrs. Malaprop from that point forward. That funny was only bettered by the return from the Matterhorn ride at Disneyland, gasping as she got off and saying, “I didn’t know whether to hold onto the purse (with all the vacation Amex checks) or hold onto the railing!” Both survived, but it was sometimes hard to tell whether she was serious or not.
Bettye will be remembered for being a Tiger Mom before the term was invented, a successful career woman despite entering the workforce after a long child-rearing gap (to put her kids through college and post-graduate school), a devoted spouse and an independent streak a mile wide.
Many facets that blended into a complex, but all-too-human life.
Donations may be made in Bettye’s honor to Congregation Ohev Sholom in Prairie Village.
Online condolences may be left at www.louismemorialchapel.com.
Arrangements entrusted to The Louis Memorial Chapel, 816-361-5211.
