BettyLou Pendleton was born on February 12, 1936, in Los Angeles, and passed away, Thursday, September 19, 2024, in her family’s home in Visalia, California. Her parents, John and Rose (Cochran) Dennison, both of Illinois, made their family home in Inglewood, California.
Blessed with a loving heart and a creative, curious mind, she loved and excelled in school. Lovingly called “Itsey” by her parents, BettyLou graduated with honors as the Valedictorian from Inglewood High School in 1953. She then attended Pepperdine University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1957. While attending Pepperdine, she served as the co-editor of the 1957 PROMENADE, a member of the Homecoming committee in 1956, Homecoming Queen the same year, a member of Alpha Gamma, Pollagrammatic, Kappa-Kappa, Sorority President, and was in Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges 1956-57. In 1958, she received her General Secondary Teaching Credential from the University of Southern California. In 1962, she returned to Graduate School at USC where she received her Master of Arts degree in English. She taught 11th and 12th grade composition and grammar, along with American Literature at Culver City High School before “retiring” to raise her family with the love of her life, Bill Pendleton, who she had married on August 23, 1958, in Inglewood, California. Bill and BettyLou were soulmates who were happily married for 61 years until Bill’s passing in November of 2019.
Living a life devoted to her family and the Lord, our mother was a beautiful soul who cared deeply for her friends and family members. Her love of life lifted those who were around her. She was blessed with an artistic eye and a sense of class that gave life the dignity that the Lord had intended. She provided her family with years of joy and compassion to last a lifetime. Her love of family and sense of heritage led to her membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution and the documenting of our family’s ancestry.
Family celebrations during the holidays always included stories of relatives and the importance of family. Her legacy of love is enduring. When given the opportunity in life to do whatever she wanted, she chose her family above all else. Later in life, she served as a member of the Elder Council at the Fountain Church of Visalia and on the Board of Directors for Christian Homes, a non-profit organization providing housing for low income seniors age 62 and over. Her artistic abilities reflected her love of life through color and design. Especially fond of needlework, BettyLou thoroughly enjoyed her years of involvement with her friends in the Cottage Guide (Tulare District Hospital) and the Embroiders Guild of America (EGA). She also dearly enjoyed the friendships she developed over the years serving as a judge at both the Big Fresno Fair and the Tulare County Fair.
BettyLou is survived by her two sons and their wives, William B. IV and Barbara, John David and Lisa; her brother; Larry Dennison; eight grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren; one sister-in-law, Barbara Gay Blakeley; two nieces and three grand-nephews, with one son, James Matthew having passed away in 2011.
A Celebration of Life service will be held on Friday, October 18, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. in the RISE Church located at 1023 North Chinowth Street, Visalia CA 93291.
*All obituaries are submitted by family and friends of the deceased.
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