Betty Joe Billotti Binz
September 9, 1928 - October 22, 2024
Obituary
Betty Joe Billotti (9/9/1928 – 10/22/2024) and Walter Ernest Binz (5/13/1926 – 8/7/2017)
Betty Joe Billotti Binz, known for her lively spirit and love and support of her family, friends, and community, peacefully passed away on October 22, 2024 at the age of 96. She was a beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend. The love of her life, Walter E. Binz, preceded her in death on August 7, 2017 at the age of 91. He was an adored father, grandfather, great grandfather, and friend. To know them was to love them, and they will be deeply missed by all who knew them.
Betty was born on September 9, 1928 in Morgantown, West Virginia, to Joe and Minnie Billotti and was a sister to Gloria Billotti Seybold. Walter was born on May 13, 1926 to Walter and Louise Binz in Patterson, New Jersey.
Walter and Betty first met and fell in love in 1943, while Betty was working at Walam’s Drugstore and fountain shop in Morgantown, and Walter was in army boot camp attending West Virginia University. All the soldiers visited Walam’s for free sodas during the second World War. Three years after Betty served Walter his first free grape cooler, the two were married on November 29, 1946. They danced their way through 70 beautiful years together, renewing their vows three times to celebrate their love and commitment to one another. Today, they are reunited, dancing together on streets of gold.
After their wedding, Walter attended New York’s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, School of Engineering. After graduation, he accepted a job with Boeing in Seattle and they moved there in 1949, where they raised their four children. In 1966, Walter and Betty moved their family to Germany to live for seven months after Walter accepted a foreign Boeing assignment.
Walter and Betty loved to travel and found great joy in boating on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands with their friends every summer for many years. They especially enjoyed the waterfront from their Puget Sound home. They placed a high value on friendships, often made through Boeing and the Normandy Park community. Betty and Walter were deeply devoted to their family and friends.
At the age of 48, Betty decided to go back to school and become a beautician. Her son, Matthew, helped with her studies and often served as her guinea pig for competitions. She proudly graduated from beauty school and worked as a stylist at the airport Hilton and at her home salon cutting and styling hair for her family and friends.
In her free time, Betty enjoyed hosting parties, arranging flowers, and creating centerpieces. She specialized in creating silk flower arrangements, which she either gave away or sold at the Normandy Park Community Club’s annual Christmas Bazaar. She loved playing Bridge with her friends, shopping, and working in her garden. She was a very active member of her community, attending church for many years at Prince of Peace Lutheran, volunteering for various causes and organizations, including the Illa Clark Garden Club #7, and the Parkside Garden Club. Betty was a founding member of the Normandy Park Cove Community Center and Swim Club. One community member said, “Betty was instrumental in getting Normandy Park to what it is today. She had vision and spunk.”
In Walter’s free time, he loved boating, reading, dancing with Betty, and designing plans for home improvements. As a trained Civil Engineer, he was instrumental in influencing the decision to place the local sewage treatment plant at its current location rather than on Cove property, where it was originally planned. He was often seen supporting Betty in her community endeavors.
Walter and Betty are survived by their four children, Walter [Eunice] Binz, Karen [Paul] Richter, David [Chris] Binz, Matthew [Lee] Binz, and their eight grandchildren, Nathan [Becky] Binz, Katie [Andre] Sims, Paul [Bethany] Richter, Libby [Afif] Khuri, Jessica Richter, Casey Binz, Kevin [Liz] Binz, and Alex Binz. They also are survived by fourteen great grandchildren, Zachary, Isaac, Brianna, Isaiah, Sydney, Noah, Abraham, Caleb, Moriyah, David, Waleed, Aya, Aiden, and (her namesake) Betty, as well as two nieces, Gloria Nicholson and Darla Goodwin.
They were preceded in death by Minnie Billotti, Joe Billotti, Gloria Billotti Seybold, Albert “Buddy” Seybold, Walter Binz, and Louise Binz.
A private funeral service will be held for family and close friends of Betty. Her Celebration of Life will be at the Normandy Park Community Center (the Cove) on Sunday, November 10 at 2 PM. Her online tribute page is available for anyone to view and share memories at Betty Joe Binz | BONNEY WATSON
My heartfelt condolences to the Binz family… I have so many childhood memories of growing up in Normandy Park, and Betty’s family was a significant part of those cherished times.
I spent many hours playing with David during grade school years, sharing birthday parties, and fun times together. I have vivid memories of being over at the Normandy Park home, and Betty making lunch for us, and going over the house next door to deliver something to the grandparents (?) and being rewarded with a treat.
Our family also enjoyed boating in the San Juans, and though we moved to Mercer Island in 1967, I remember seeing David at the stern of their boat yelling out my name as we had a chance encounter at one of the islands years after we had moved away from Normandy Park.
Betty was always such a kind, welcoming, and generous person and left an indelible imprint on me as a child. Thank you, and may God bless and comfort your wonderful family.
My sincere condolences for your family on the passing of your beloved mother.
She was a truly special, kind and generous lady who was always so thoughtful and caring to my family, particularly my grandparents who lived next door to your family. I have fond memories of 4th of July celebrations at the beach and her kindness towards my late mother and my late aunt when they were in declining health. May you find comfort in wonderful memories of a life well lived.
My deepest condolences to the family. Thank you for letting me work in your wonderful garden every Monday. You will be missed Mrs Betty.
My condolences on Betty’s passing. She and Walter were great friends with my parents, Bob and Doris Rohrbach, and Betty and Doris were co-conspirators on many a community club or garden club project where they had fun and built a better community. Our families supported each other’s kids and our endeavors, and I appreciated Betty’s friendship in my adult years. She did indeed have spunk and vision! I will miss her.
My sincere sympathy to the Binz family on the passing of your beloved mother. Betty left a legacy, and it is the wonderful and large family that she nurtured and loved. On my occasional visits with her in her later years, she loved to tell me about her children and grandchildren; she was so proud of all of you! In my younger years I knew Betty as my Mom’s (Kay Craig) best friend, a boating buddy and a caring adult. She impressed me as a woman of many talents and a wide circle of friends. She knew how to have a good time, and her love of life was contagious.
Betty was our dear neighbor (we live two houses down from her). I loved stopping to chat with her frequently while out on walks. She was always so engaged and sweet with my young daughter, Hannah, who was in total awe of Betty’s beautiful garden and all the whimsical decorations that adorned her house. During Covid, my parents and I visited with Betty in her garage, when she was eager to pop open a bottle of wine and socialize (distanced six feet and outside of course!) She had so many great stories about her life in Normandy Park, and really contributed to my sense of community. I will miss her bright smile and sweet nature. My very best to her family.