ELIZABETH “BETSY” BURNS,

to whom family was the number one priority, slipped away from us on Mother’s Day, May 10, 2009.

Born in a farm house outside of Preston, Iowa in 1921, she grew up in Des Moines, where she met and married Bill Burns, her husband of 63 years.

For 40 years, Betsy and Bill traveled the USA with their children Carol (Bunny) and Bill Jr. Bill’s Navy assignments in the beginning, and an insurance career later on, led them to establish homes in Iowa, California, Washington, Rhode Island, Vermont, Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado, New York City, Texas and finally Green Valley.

Betsy was an active Episcopalian wherever she lived, serving on vestries and presiding over guilds and ECW groups. She was also a longtime PEO.

An avid reader and “student of life,” Betsy was passionate about everything she did - arguing politics, cheering on her favorite athletes and teams, and organizing holiday get-togethers for a small but spread out family.

In Green Valley during the past 25 years, Betsy participated in a ladies tennis group and golf, the gift shop at St. Francis-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church, PEO, mahjong, and the La Perla library.

Betsy loved travel and enjoyed many road trips and numerous cruises with Bill. She shared world travel with Bunny across Europe and Asia. It was her delight to visit Bill Jr. and his family on naval bases and Bunny and her family on Air Force bases - most memorably Okinawa, Japan.

This tiny lady leaves a large gap in the lives of many.

Betsy was preceded in death by her parents Roy and Beulah Coleman; and husband William R. Burns.

She is survived by her son William R. Burns Jr. and his wife Catherine of Washington, D.C.; her daughter Carol (Bunny) Micklas and her husband Paul of Fort Worth, Texas; granddaughters Bobbi Burns Nicholas and Storme Micklas Street; grandson William R. Burns III; and great-grandson Max William Nicholas. She also leaves behind a host of friends at La Posada - including her “breakfast club.”

A memorial service will be held at St. Francis-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church, Saturday, May 16, at 11 a.m. A reception at the church will follow.