Tributes

Things is things and that’s all there is to it Even though this is tough you can surely get through it You’ve got your health, your family, and friends galore You’re blessed with these treasures and much, much more. - Betty Ann Skelton Betty Ann Munroe Skelton, 90, has been freed from the earthly bonds of suffering and gone home to be with God. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ivan and Mildred Munroe, her daughter, Hollie Louise Skelton Sanders (Guy), her sisters Theresa and Jett, and her brother, Ivan Munroe, Jr. Betty Ann is survived by her beloved husband of over 67 years, Benson L. Skelton, Jr., her daughters Susan Theresa Skelton and Sarah Ann Skelton Rich (Jeff); her grandchildren Lindsey Sanders Fowler (Luke), John Benson Rich (Alexandria), and John Munroe Rich; her great-grandchildren Whitfield Hollon Fowler, and Callaway Lindsey Fowler; her close friend and companion of over 57 years, Corine Davis (Tommy) and a host of family and friends. Betty Ann took great delight in her Friday lunches with her special nephews, Hampton Tunis and David Schmelz, and her cousin Anne Munroe Vinson. They came right on time each Friday to share family fellowship with her throughout her years of illness. As a child of Tallahassee, born and raised in the home that now houses the Lemoyne Art Gallery, she and her siblings had great adventures growing up with their friends. In a true testament to the bonds of lifetime friendship, Betty Ann has stayed in close touch with her dearest childhood friends, Gail Croy, Jane Yancey Sutton, Pat Turnley Roberts, and Judy Stead Miner. She was active in many activities, and though she didn’t really play bridge, she loved being a member of the “Ladies of the Square Table,” another group of friends that have stayed close through the years. Betty Ann was a community leader in many areas, but her most valued work was with law enforcement and health care organizations. She was a founding member and two-time past president of the Committee of 99, a law enforcement support group; and a founding member of the Tree House for abused and neglected children; she served on the Leon County School Volunteer Program to assist in the integration of the local school district and helped to start the Leon County School Resource Officer Program. She was a founding and emeritus member of the Big Bend Hospice Foundation, and the first chair of the Tallahassee Volunteer of the Year banquet. Betty Ann served as President of the Tallahassee Junior League and the Cotillion Club. She was a member of the first board of governors for Leadership Tallahassee, was Vice-President of the Florida Heritage Foundation, and was a member of the Colonial Dames of the 17th Century. Her community work was featured in an article in the Tallahassee Democrat in March, 2000, “A Woman of Accomplishment.” She was very proud to have authored “A Collection of Thoughts and Prayers,” a book that is still loved and sought after three decades after its publication. In her younger years, Betty Ann was a Leon High School and FSU Cheerleader, and a member of the FSU Flying High Circus. She was Lily the sad-faced clown and an aerial artist. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi and held a bachelor’s degree in social work. Betty Ann’s priorities were always her family, St. John’s Episcopal Church, and her community. Graveside services will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday, September 29th at Roselawn Cemetery. Following the graveside service, the family will receive friends at the family residence. We would like to thank all of the caregivers and health professionals who assisted over the last several years, and the wonderful staff members and volunteers at Big Bend Hospice for their compassion and support. For those wishing to commemorate her lifetime of giving to Tallahassee, our family requests that in lieu of flowers, please feel free to contribute to St. John’s Episcopal Church, or Big Bend Hospice. Susie Mozolic of Bevis Funeral Home is assisting the Skelton family with their arrangements. (www.bevisfh.com or 850-385-2193)

Tributes

Betty Ann Skelton

March 24, 1933 - September 25, 2023