Bettye Porter

Bettye Lou  Porter , age 88 went home to be with the Lord  Saturday morning November 5, 2022 at a local Athens, TN health care facility. A lifelong resident of McMinn County TN. She was a lifelong member of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Athens, TN, where she was the church pianist until her health prevented her from playing. A graduate of J.L. Cook High School in Athens, TN where she played basketball as a guard. She remained a basketball fan and would sometimes attend Lady Vols basketball games. She received her BS degree from Knoxville College and Masters degree from Tennessee State University . She did additional post graduate studies at the University of Tennessee Knoxville.

She began her career teaching for 2 years at East Etowah Elementary . She taught first grade at J.L. Cook Elementary . She also taught at Forrest Hill Elementary, Westside Elementary and City Park Elementary, she retired from Athens City School System in 1993 after 36 years.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Henry Daniel Porter and Margaret Nelson Porter, sisters, Imogene Porter Hopper, Billie Porter Armstrong, and brother Kenneth Porter , nephews, Gary ‘Pinky’ Hopper and Anthony Hopper.

She leaves to cherish her memories her aunts, Carolyn Nelson of Detroit, MI, and Gwendolyn Nelson-Conrad of Mississippi. Special cousin Marynelle Suddereth of Madisonville, TN, who was like a sister. Her nieces, Kara ‘Missy’(Daniel) Porter-Turner of Jacksonville, FL, Vicki Porter of Las Vegas, NV. Myra (Roberto) Sangroni of Fort Pierce, FL, Katrina Hopper of West Park, FL, Mary Hopper( Levi) Jones of Port St. Lucie , FL and a nephew Kenneth Hopper of Brooklyn, NY. Many great nieces, and great nephews, many cousins and friends in the Athens, TN community, and special caregivers in the last years of her life Harriel and Stanley Blair, Ray Johnson, Sara Lee Jones, and Deborah Abernathy Johnson.

Homegoing Celebration will be held Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. with pastor Rev. Chris Eady officiating and Rev. Vant Hardaway delivering the eulogy . The family will receive friends one hour before the service at the church from 12:00 noon until 1:00 p.m. Interment will follow the service at Hammonds Cemetery in Athens, TN. Visitation by friends and former students will be on Wednesday, November 9, 2022 from 5:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. in the chapel of M.D. Dotson and Sons Funeral Home – Athens, TN.

In observance of Covid-19 all are asked to wear a mask and observe social distancing.