Jacqualyn Betz

With her fantastic smile and outgoing personality, Jacqualyn Betz was a great lady who made friends everywhere she went. She was determined to make the most of life and faced her challenges with remarkable courage and optimism. Jackie cherished her family, always putting their comfort before her own. In the years following World War II, families around the globe worked hard to regain a sense of normalcy and security. Percy and Clara (Lacomte) Guilliom of Muskegon, Michigan, were no exception and were thrilled to learn that they were expecting a third child. On July 7, 1947, little Jacqualyn added her voice and energy to their household and was soon toddling after her two big sisters. Growing up in the beautiful Muskegon lakeshore area gave Jackie opportunities for plenty of outdoor fun with friends and family. One warm day found her and her best friend Gloria cruising slowly down Ruddiman Drive in Glorias convertible, smiling and waving like a couple of beauty queens. Their joy was dampened by a police officer who decided to ticket them for not having a parade license, an offense that was difficult to explain to her parents. Basically, Jackie enjoyed being out by the lake and the more people she had around her the better. After graduating from North Muskegon High School, Jackie attended Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. She worked as a data processor at Brown Paper Company, but soon realized that she didnt enjoy college. After one semester, she left Western and took a job back home as a teller for Chemical National Bank, but that short time in Kalamazoo changed her life in unimaginable ways. At Brown, Jackie met a man named Ron Betz, and shortly afterward he proposed. Jackie accepted, and the two exchanged vows at St. Marys Church in Muskegon on August 3, 1968, followed by a honeymoon in northern Michigan. Their new household included Jackies beagle, Sam, but that was not the end of the familys growth. After four years, Jackie was given the first of two amazing gifts when her son Michael was born followed two years later by a daughter, Melissa. Jackie loved pets and one dog in particular, a German Shepherd/Collie mix named Molly, made a big impression on the family. She started as an outside dog, but within a week she was sleeping in the bedroom and running the house. The family enjoyed camping and the kids loved summer days at the beach with Jackie at Muskegon State Park. Jackie adored both her children, and the feeling was mutual. She disciplined them when necessary, but she also trusted them to apply what she taught them and to make the right decisions. They only gave her a little grief when it came to their homework. If she nagged them about it, they would say, Thats another twenty minutes before I go do it since you reminded me. As the kids got older, they began to recognize how amazing their mother really was. Michael called her Wonder Woman and marveled that she found time to do everything she did. Holiday celebrations were always held at Jackies home, and she did all the work of hosting several friends and relatives. When Melissa was an adult, her friends thought of Jackie as a friend rather than Melissas mother. Michaels friends appreciated Jackie, too! They felt she was way cool and made a terrific wingman at local bars. After almost thirty-seven years, Jackie and Ron divorced. During that difficult time, she took solace in her kids and friends. Jackie maintained friendships for years with a group of girlfriends and they often took girls only trips to Chicago, New York, Mexico, Florida, and northern Michigan. The agenda varied and sometimes included shopping, golfing, or maybe sun bathing, but no matter what, wine and laughter were always involved somehow. She and her girlfriends wrote a book entitled Proverbs from the Bar that they still laugh about. After a round of golf one Sunday afternoon, Jackie and a friend were enjoying a meal at the bar at Bear Lake Tavern. A man named Dennis sat down nearby and in usual Jackie fashion, she included him in their conversation. At closing time four hours later, they were still talking, but they had to leave and she didnt see Dennis again for about three months. When she did run into him again, they established a relationship that continued to deepen, eventually considering each other partners for life. Dennis and Jackie loved traveling together, and Chicago always seemed to be their favorite location. Dennis described how they could enter a restaurant with no seats available, yet after a few minutes, Jackie would strike up a conversation with strangers and get them a seat like they were part of the gang. Jackie was a driven woman whose loyalty and work ethic earned her several promotions at the bank. After thirty-seven years, she was a Vice President with the respect and admiration of her co-workers. She enjoyed her work, but life threw her a curve that led her to decide it was time to retire. Jackie learned that she had esophageal cancer, a rare cancer generally discovered late in its progress and usually with a negative prognosis. When told that she was terminal, Jackie wisely resolved that the most important thing she had to do was not to work harder, earn more money, or buy a bigger home. Her time was precious, and she took the lyrics to Live Like You Were Dying to heart. Jackie had always wanted to sail, so she and Dennis purchased a sailboat, which he named Silly Girl after Jackie. They took lessons, spending many hours cruising the Muskegon River until they felt confident enough to take her out on Lake Michigan. As her health declined, Dennis took on the role of her primary caregiver. They felt privileged to look back on their years together with no regrets, and couldnt remember a day of those years that they didnt say, I love you. Jackie refused to let cancer define her or defeat her. She faced it bravely, rejected self-pity, and chose to live life to the fullest as she always had. Her example will continue to inspire those who knew her as they remember her fun-loving free spirit, her dedication to her family, and her perseverance. Jackie died on Friday, September 21, 2007. She is survived by her children, Michael Betz of Nashville and Melissa Betz of Muskegon; her mother, Clara Guilliom of Montague, Michigan; sisters Lynda Holmes of Saugatuck, Michigan, and Susan Guilliom of Montague, Michigan; step-brother David Guilliom of Wisconsin; and her true love, Dennis Welch. Jackies memorial service will be held at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, September 24, at Clock Life Story Funeral Home Muskegon. A reception will follow at the Lincoln Golf Course. Visitation will be from 4-5 p.m. prior to the memorial service. In lieu of flowers, contributions to www.ecancertrials.com for further esophageal cancer research are appreciated.