Betty Jane (Copeland) Farrell

Betty was born on December 25, 1923 in Kennewick, WA to Vinton Henry Copeland and Thelma Lucille (Turner) Copeland.  Her family would include two siblings, an older brother Jack and a younger sister Margie.  They spent their time living in the Portland and southern Washington areas.  She graduated from Jefferson High School (1942) in Portland and worked for Jantzen Beachwear for several years.

Betty married Bernard (Bud) Joseph Farrell on May 30, 1948.  They set up their home in Portland and started their family with the birth of Kathleen Ann (1950-1958).  She was joined by sister, Marcia Maureen (1951) and brother, Shawn Michael (1955).  Betty was a talented homemaker who enjoyed displaying her artistic side with gardening and sewing clothes for her girls. She was very close to her parents and talked to her mother daily.

In 1967, Bud and Betty sold her beloved home in the Alameda district of Portland to allow Bud to relocate to Corvallis, as he had chosen to complete his PhD studies at Oregon State University.  They returned to the Portland area in 1970 where Bud continued his career with the Portland School District.  Betty pursued her love of gardening by maintaining their 3 acre home in Aurora, OR.  She also was involved with Aurora's Historic Association, running their gift shop and volunteering for the yearly fundraiser.

Bud passed away in 1985, shortly after his retirement. Betty spent the next almost 40 years living in the Portland area.  She did some traveling through the United States and British Columbia, Canada, and a memorial trip to St. Petersburg, Russia. While her health allowed, she spent as much time as she could at her second home in Waldport, OR.  She spent many hours tending her yard and fish pond.  The coast was a place of peace and contentment for Betty and her and our fondest memories were at the condo in King City and the beach house in Coronado Shores.

The last few years of Betty's life were a time of a slow decline.  She continued to amaze her medical team with her resilience.  She was fortunate to spend the last 18 months of her life with her beloved son, Shawn, at his Ocean Shores, WA home.  He and his wife, Lyla, generously cared for her needs and took her on frequent drives so she could hear the sounds of the surf.  She delighted in feeding apples to the deer on these drives.  On the days her sight was better, she looked forward to spotting the wildlife that crossed the backyard and birds that would swoop across the lake. On warm days, she would sit on her balcony and enjoy her potted plants.  She was diligent in tending her flowers and  keeping them watered.  Her special outings were going up to the picturesque town of Seabrook, WA for lunch and a little shopping.

Betty took pride in her designation of grandmother and great-grandmother.  She loved seeing pictures of her eight grandchildren (Sara, Seth, Joedy, Rebecca, Buddie, Jeremy, Ryan and Jered) and ten great grandchildren (Ezra, Ethan, Tori, Honora, Malia, Jayce, Verity, Emmett, Payton and Brooklyn).  She looked forward to their phone calls and visits.  One of her greatest accomplishments was to be honored with a family party on her 100th birthday.  Shawn hosted family members who came from Burnaby, BC; Everett, WA; Port Moody, BC; Banks, OR; Waialua, HI; and Beaverton, OR to celebrate her 2023 birthday/Christmas together.

Betty passed away on May 9, 2024.  She will be remembered for her love of family, traditional values, and determination to live life on her terms.