Elizabeth (Betty) Joyce Utter

Elizabeth (Betty) Joyce Utter, Olympia, Washington passed away peacefully at Panorama City on July 31st. She will be forever missed by her family and friends. Betty’s surviving family includes her three children; Kim, Kirk, and John; her four grandchildren, Molly, Anders, Florence, and Eli Utter; and her sister Marilyn.

Betty was born on March 26, 1932, to Dagney and David Stevenson and grew up in Seattle, Washington. She attended Linfield College but switched to the University of Washington where she fell in love with teaching and with Bob Utter. Through her love of teaching, she worked at various schools in Seattle and Lacey. In her fifties, Betty received her Master’s degree and became a school intervention counselor at South Bay Elementary in Olympia.

Betty married Bob Utter on December 28th, 1953. They lived in Seattle until 1972 when Bob was appointed to the Washington State Supreme Court and then moved to Olympia. Mutual past times included sailing around the Puget Sound, world travel, and eating spritz cookies.

Betty was a volunteer for many organizations, including the Dispute Resolution Center of Thurston County. In 2013 she was honored with the DRC's Evan Ferber Peacemaker Leadership Award.

Once she and Bob retired in 1995, their world travel increased while Bob mentored judges in emerging democracies. Betty played a critical role during these trips, drawing on her remarkable social intelligence and her deep belief in the dignity and inherent worth of every person. She had a gift for finding common ground across differences, creating a sense of shared purpose, and connecting authentically with people from all walks of life. She often formed particularly meaningful bonds with the wives of judges. During their travels, her sense of adventure never escaped her, including riding motorbikes in her 70s around Kigali, Rwanda, and hiking to a mountaintop church in Ukraine.

Betty was an avid walker and was renowned for drinking scalding hot cups of tea. She knew how to make the most of every moment. Her love of people, the church, and sense of optimism will be forever missed.