Extraordinary
LYNN was the eldest of three sisters and grew up in a large, close-knit extended family in Walsall. Her father Norman worked at the Bescot railway sidings and the family’s social life centred on the cricket club and railwayman’s club. She suffered with poor health from childhood, but never complained and always said it was simply her lot in life. When she was a baby, her eczema was so bad that her hands were tied to the cot to stop her scratching and, as a child, she had to be swathed in bandages. She was sent to Reedswood Open Air School for children with asthma — ironically, it was in the shadow of a coal-burning power station that belched out dust. Lynn went on to college to train in secretarial skills and worked at a local engineering firm. We met in the 1960s, courting and saving for our bottom drawer until we got married in 1967. After moving to Cheslyn Hay, Staffordshire, we became part of the community, forming lifelong friendships with many of the other young couples. Lynn took a break from paid work for 12 years to raise our sons Paul
and Peter. She attended Salem Methodist Church and when the children joined the Boys’ Brigade, she became a member of the parents’ association, then an officer, teaching values for 20 years, and secretary to the Boys’ Brigade Wolverhampton/ Shropshire Battalion. She returned to work in the 1980s as secretary for Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and then as executive secretary for Permec in Wolverhampton, where she would deal with clients in Monaco. She was diagnosed with Mycosis fungoides, a type of blood cancer, in 2003, but that didn’t stop her helping to look after her four beloved grandchildren. She also found time to support her daughter-inlaw’s childcare business and put her administrative skills to good use for Barton-underNeedwood’s rugby clubs, registering 200 junior players every season. We celebrated our golden wedding anniversary in 2017 surrounded by family, which was the type of occasion Lynn loved best. My wife was my constant strength, giving me support to complete a mature degree. When I was president of the Association of Painting Craft Teachers, she enjoyed the social side — she loved to shop for cocktail dresses! Lynn gave that extra bit of commitment, love and support to her family, friends and community.
LYNN MARGARET BETTS, born September 1,
1945; died September 6, 2021, aged 76.