Betty Brown Williams

Betty Brown Williams, of Houston, Texas passed away peacefully at her beloved Windy Hill Farm in Bellville, Texas on May 12th, 2021.
She was the only child of Hart Brown and Leola Downs Brown. Betty was born in Houston on February 26, 1937. She attended River Oaks Elementary and graduated from St. John’s School in 1955. Betty attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where she pledged Delta Delta Delta sorority. She transferred to the University of Texas so that she could make her debut at Allegro with many of her friends.  Betty graduated from University of Houston in 1959.
Betty married Walter Lazenby Williams on June 10, 1958 and they enjoyed 61 years together as husband and wife.  They were both active together playing tennis, snow skiing, horseback riding and traveling around the world later in life either through Walter’s career with Cheniere or with the Traveling Texas Aggies.  In particular, Betty and Walter loved spending time at their farm in Bellville, Windy Hill.  Many friends and family learned to ride a horse, identify a butterfly, catch a horny toad and swing a croquet mallet under Betty’s tutorage.  Betty was a talented guitarist who entertained many a girl scout at campouts by playing and singing folk songs, switching around the lyrics to sing about each girl in attendance. 
Betty was always socially and physically active. She loved playing tennis and snow skiing until she was unable to do so because of an early onset of rheumatoid arthritis. She continued riding horses as long as the ground below her was soft and the horse a good one. Betty didn’t miss a beat by having to leave behind these athletic sports and began playing mahjongg long before it became “a thing” and practicing tai chi through VHS tapes before classes were ever available.
Betty was a longtime member of the Church of St. John the Divine and enjoyed serving on the Flower Guild for many years. She was a member of the Brown Thumb Garden Club, the River Oaks Blossom Club, the Antique Study Group, the Tri Delta Alumni Club and was active with the Houston Grand Opera Guild, and a docent at the Heritage Society. She was a docent at Bayou Bend for many years and where she met many of her lifelong friends. She was a founding member of the Houston Mallet Club, now the Houston Croquet Association, and a member of the River Oaks Country Club, Sarabande and Carribee Dance Clubs and the National Society of Magna Charta Dames.
Betty is preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Walter. She is survived by her daughters, Lynn Williams Graves and her husband John and Cynthia Williams George and her husband Wiley, all of Houston. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Faison Graves Weiss and her husband Peter of Orlando, FL. and Ashby Graves, Lexie Davis and Marshall Davis, all of Houston. Betty was a loving great-grandmother to Walter Weiss and Eloise Weiss.
The family would like to thank the many people who have helped Betty in the past year and especially the past few months. She appreciated each of her various caregivers. In particular, Ruth Coleman, Edith Elias, Lupe Escalante and Sharon Graham showed Mother great kindness in her last days.
A private graveside service will be held with a reception in memory of Betty at a later date.
In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that donations in Betty’s memory be directed to The Betty Brown Williams Memorial Butterfly Garden at the Houston Area Women’s Center. Donations can be mailed to: Houston Area Women’s Center, 1010 Waugh Dr., Houston, Texas 77019. Please indicate on the memo line for the Betty Brown Williams garden. You may also make a donation via this link: https://hawc.org/support-us/memorial-gifts/