Betty Lee Garland passed away peacefully on May 26, 2022, surrounded by loved ones. She was born Betty Jo Lee on Christmas Day 1935 at the family home of Roscoe McGee Lee and Bertie Lou Sampson Lee. Betty and her older sister Polly had large extended families in their tight-knit community of Denison. Betty loved to play sports and was nicknamed “Go Betty Go” (although she later learned to love manicures and tea parties when she had seven granddaughters.) It was as a teenager in Denison that Betty met and married the man she would discover the world with, Terry Garland. They married on April 17, 1954.
An avid reader, Betty had a relentless curiosity and loved to learn. When Terry became a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, she had the opportunity to travel to parts of the world she could never have imagined as a child growing up in Denison. Together, they raised three children in the U.S. as well as in France and Japan, and instilled in them a love of travel and hunger to see the world. 
After earning a Master’s degree at UNT in Denton, Betty brought her teaching skills and caring spirit into her work as an elementary school teacher in Carrollton ISD. For years, Betty served as a leader at Asbury United Methodist Church where she taught Sunday school and was actively involved in Bible Study Fellowship. She was a steadfast believer in the grace of God. She will forever be cherished by family, friends, and the many others whose lives she touched. Betty is survived by her beloved husband of 68 years, Terry Donald Garland; her sister Polly Powell; 3 children, Mike Garland, Lee Ann Valerio, and Greg Garland, and their spouses; 8 grandchildren; and 2 great-grandchildren.
Betty will be remembered for her walk with the Lord, the warmth of her smile, and the love she poured out on her family and all those whose lives were blessed by her courageous and loving spirit.
Betty will be interred at Fairview Cemetery in Denison on Saturday, June 4 at 1:00 pm with a brief graveside service there. That same day her life will be celebrated at a memorial service at 4:00 pm at Asbury United Methodist Church in Denton.  Her family requests contributions to the church they loved in lieu of flowers (www.asburydenton.org).