Betty Ann (Samson) Bawidamann

Bawidamann, Betty Ann (nee Samson), 86, died peacefully at home, with her family at her side, on Friday, May 31, 2019.
She was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend to many. Born Sept 23, 1932, in Vanceburg, Kentucky, her family moved to Portsmouth, Dayton (where she graduated from Roosevelt H.S.), then Kettering. She spotted Joe at a bus stop and declared him to be her future husband. They married in Dayton, Joe joined the Navy, and she moved to San Diego to be with him, where she worked as a telephone operator. Upon Joe's discharge, they moved back to Dayton to start a family, living with his grandmother Anna Bitto. While having four children, Joe and Betty saved to build a house in Beavercreek, where they moved and had one more child. They were active members of Saint Luke Catholic Church. She was involved in the many annual dinners and the Christmas bazaars, she led the local Cub Scout Pack, was active in the PTA, contributed to the school library with the donation of all the novels of writer and family friend, Allan W. Eckert. Annual vacations included Put-in-Bay Island, camping at Hillside Haven, and Gatlinburg. She attended Wright State University to learn secretarial and accounting skills that she applied to the practice of Dr. Ling, M.D. She was a distributing associate for the Beavercreek News, a Kelly Girl Temp, and finished her career as secretary for the Egyptian Liaison Office at WPAFB. She retired in 2003 to care for Joe, as he had suffered a stroke. She enjoyed an eclectic taste in music, including classical, opera, theatrical, Chet Atkins, Ferranti and Tiescher, Englebert Humperdink, Neil Diamond, and Herb Alpert. She dabbled in painting, home sewing, and mining and faceting of semi-precious stones. She enjoyed Jeopardy and playing Scrabble. Her circles of friends included a group of life-long friends from grade school, her BINGO club friends of over 50 years, her church, neighborhood, and work friends.
Preceded in death by: husband Joe, mother Ruth (nee Jones), father Ralph Samson, sister Linda Minor and brother-in-law John, brothers Charles and sister-in-law Jean, David and sister-in-law Sheila, Ronald and sister-in-law Sharon, and Kelvin, grandmother-in-law Anna Bitto, mother-in-law Elizabeth, father-in-law Karl, brother-in-law Frank, sister-in-law Frances, and brother-in-law Tony, nephews Michael and John.
Survived by: sister Delores Clawson (Duane), sister-in-law Janet, brother-in-law Karl (Rena), sister-in-law Marie Lewis (Chuck), all her children Theresa, Gretchen Buchanan (Robert), Nancy Kesselem (Mark), Joe Jr., and David (Laura), grandchildren Andrew, Benjamin, Eric, Sara, Tony, Aaron, Kathryn, Adam, Ellen, Nathan, Ian, Adam (Dana), Andrew, Dave, and Caroline, great grandchildren Sidney, Victoria, Evelyn, Katherine, Caroline, Whitney, Jacob, Samuel, Maxwell, Rory, Judah, Alexander, Caleb, Dean, many nieces and nephews, and her faithful and loving dog, Cooper.
Our family would like to thank caregivers Sarah, LaRae, Mattea, and Cheryl for their assistance, and express appreciation for Hospice of Dayton for their care and oversight. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Hospice of Dayton.
Viewing and a Catholic Mass of Burial will be held at 10AM and 11AM respectively, on Friday, June 7th, at Saint Henry Catholic Church, 6696 N. Springboro Pike, then Internment Service at Calvary Cemetery following the Mass. Luncheon for friends and family to follow.
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