Betty Jane Pleasant Locke

Betty Jane Locke July 16, 1929 - October 8th, 2020 Betty Jane Pleasant Locke died as she lived, on her own terms. She had always sworn to stay in her little house in Royal Oak until her dying day, and that's exactly what happened, as she passed away peacefully at home, having been released from the hospital the day prior. The oldest child of Harry and Fern Locke, she grew up in Ferndale, MI, where she attended Lincoln High School. She stayed in contact with her many friends and classmates through her involvement in the Class of 1947 reunion committee (which was active until about 2012). She was fiercely loyal and nurtured her relationships well, continuing friendships that had begun in the kindergarten. Perhaps the best proof of this will be that she will be inurned at Oakview Cemetery with her very best friend since the 8th grade - a friendship that lasted almost 80 years. Who could have known that a secretarial job in a car dealership would have been so critical to Betty's life? She worked for MI Senator George Higgins, and that brought together so many things she loved - Pontiacs, politics, and baseball. Higgins Pontiac had been the dealership for the Tigers, and one day Ty Cobb came in, and she was so flustered she misfiled all the paperwork she'd had in her hands. This was also where she met Hall of Famer George Kell, who became a lifelong friend. George was a fixture in our lives, and we'd always visit with him when he was in town. One of the best road trips we ever had was to Cooperstown for George's induction. Working for Sen. Higgins led to an opportunity to go to Washington to work in the office of US Sen. Homer Ferguson in the early 1950s. She often told stories of her time there, describing characters from the office staff, and how they had to walk miles to get documents back and forth, and many complaints about the malarial climate of DC pre-air conditioning. A highlight was the chance to go to an inaugural ball for Eisenhower's Second Inaugural, where she danced with Walter Pidgeon. A child of both the Depression and WWII, Betty was a devotee of FDR, yet became an Eisenhower Republican and was very active in the Republican Party for most of her life. This involvement came to a crashing, crushing halt with the advent of the Tea Party and Trumpism, and she was very pleased to have gotten her ballot cast against Trump in the current election. Her involvement with the Michigan Republican Party introduced her to so many interesting people and opportunities, including allowing her to get her start in the legal profession. Her first job as a legal secretary was with Snyder and Feikens. It would be her last, in that she stayed with that firm, through all of its names and incarnations, for 43 years. Her 50th birthday party stands as perhaps the best window into her life. The attendees included two Federal judges, a State senator, the GM of the Tigers and a Hall-of-Fame player, the head of Young and Rubicam's Detroit office as well as friends from elementary school, high school, and family from all over the country, with telegrams and well wishes from many more who couldn't attend. Becoming a grandmother at 81 was one of her greatest delights, and she loved being Mima. She was an avid reader, and loved Dick Francis, Alexander McCall Smith, Donna Leon and notably, the New Yorker magazine. She was a subscriber for over 60 years, with only a brief hiatus during the Tina Brown years. Beth Ann took her to the very first New Yorker festival, where she got to meet one of her literary heroes, Roger Angell. Betty is survived by her daughter Beth Ann (John) Tesluk, beloved granddaughter Ella Jane Tesluk, and sister Debbie (Vince) Locke-Daniel. She is predeceased by parents Harry and Fern Locke, and brothers S. Bruce and Lawrence. After retiring in 1996, Betty became heavily involved in her church, Royal Oak First United Methodist. She took pride in having completed the Disciple series of courses, and helping to coordinate the book club. She was a great supporter of ROFUM's outreach program which feeds many of the homeless and food insecure population of Royal Oak, The family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts be made to Royal Oak First United Methodist, 320 W. Seventh Street, Royal Oak, MI, 48067 Due to Covid-19 restrictions, a private memorial will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 7th at Royal Oak First United Methodist, with livestream available http://www.rofum.org/funeral. Inurnment at Oakview will be held on a separate occasion to be determined at a later date.

Betty Jane Pleasant Locke

July 16, 1929 - October 8, 2020