Betty Jones Whitten

Betty Jones Whitten died on June 17, 2015, after a brief illness, having left a mark on family, friends and students in ways both large and small. She was 77. Betty never missed a chance to enjoy the lighter side of life, even when health concerns led her to move closer to family in Charlotte, then to the Southminster retirement community. She loved sharing with her neighbors, whether it was peppermint candy or fruit she had picked up at the Farmer's Market. Friends and neighbors enjoyed her smile and quick wit. When a neighbor told Betty she felt like she was losing her marbles, Betty brought her some marbles from her personal collection to help out. She was born and raised in Fayetteville, Tennessee, the third of Albin and Katharine Jones' six children. Her parents instilled in her a strong work ethic and the desire to achieve excellence. She began her college education at Berry College and maintained a lifelong loyalty to the school that gave her an opportunity to work her way through college. She ultimately earned her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Mathematics from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Georgia. Settling in Athens, Ga., she flourished during a long career on the faculty of the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia. Rising to the ranks of full professor, she taught Computer Science and earned numerous teaching awards including the Josiah Meigs award for excellence in teaching on 2 occasions. Just as important to her, she built lasting relationships with her students. She helped guide them into summer internships and careers, then relished how they kept in touch long after their school days. She was a long time member and served as president of the Decision Sciences Institute, an international professional society of statisticians. At the end of her career, she served three years as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at UGA before teaching one final year and retiring in 1998. Beyond the classroom, she was deeply devoted to her church, Athens First United Methodist. She took on leadership roles in the local church and served for years as a delegate to the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. She enjoyed leading mission trips to Costa Rica and Jamaica and teaching Bible Study. Betty was so proud of her family. She is survived by two children - son Andy and his wife, Pilar Losada, of Guitiriz, Spain, and daughter Kathryn Whitten Bohmer and her husband, Jim, of Charlotte; five grandchildren - Oscar Durden, Sarah and Danny Whitten-Losada and Matthew and Sam Bohmer; and five brothers and sisters - Ruby Jones Bales and her husband, Emory, of Dahlgren, Va., Jack Allen Jones and his wife, Katherine Armitage, of Asheville, NC, Nancy Jones Cyr and her husband Philip of Fort Washington, MD., George Thomas Jones and his wife, Anita Baker Jones, of Schnecksville, PA., and William Robert Jones and his wife, Rebecca, of Fayetteville, TN. Kenneth Whitten, to whom she was married 53 years, also survives. Her move to Charlotte and Southminster proved to be a blessing. Her health improved, she made new friends, and being close to family meant she could attend her grandchildren's ballgames and acting performances. She made a special friend at Southminster in Art Jones, and they were having great fun planning their wedding. Grandson Sam was looking forward to walking her down the aisle to "give her away." A service to celebrate her life will be at 3 p.m. July 2 at Athens First United Methodist Church, 327 N. Lumpkin St. A reception will follow at the church. In lieu of flowers, a gift in her honor can be made to Boys & Girls Clubs of Athens, P.O. Box 546, Athens, Ga. 30603. The family is grateful to staff and residents at Southminster for welcoming her into their community and to the doctors, nurses and staff at Carolinas Medical Center for their excellent care and kindness.