Betty Ann Craig McGill Memphis, Tenn.
Betty Ann Craig McGill, 82, formerly of Decatur, passed away July, 10, 2010, in Memphis, Tenn.
She was born in Norfolk, Va., on June 9, 1928, and was the daughter of the late Tyler Marshall Craig and Essie Ikenberry Craig.
Her father, Tyler, served in the U.S. Army during World War I. Following the War, he joined Craig Brothers Shipyard in Norfolk.
Betty's, older brother, Tyler Marshall Craig Jr., became MIA while on a mission over Formosa (Taiwan) as an Army Air Corps navigator during World War II.
After graduating from Maury High School in Norfolk, Va., Betty attended the Norfolk Division of William & Mary College. She later graduated from Richmond Polytechnic Institute with a teaching certificate and taught art in the Norfolk public school system. Betty met Charles Homer McGill while he was stationed in Norfolk as a U.S. Marine. After his graduation from Georgia Tech with a BS in Textile Engineering, they were married in June of 1951. Charlie retired from Monsanto in Decatur and Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.
Betty grew up on the Atlantic Coast, and enjoyed spending time on the beaches. She encouraged each of her children to take Red Cross swimming and life saving lessons at an early age, and made regular visits to Myrtle Beach, Destin, and Galveston. Betty became involved in a wide range of volunteer activities throughout her life; from PTA and Girl Scouts to line dancing and working in her church library and kitchen at First Baptist Church, Decatur. Betty was an accomplished seamstress with all of her grandchildren recipients of her gifted hand work. Betty also enjoyed traveling. She visited the World's Fairs with her family in New York and Knoxville, and traveled with each of her children to Great Britain as a member of the First Baptist Church of Decatur's Mission Trip delegations.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Homer McGill in 1999.
She is survived by her three children, Randy McGill and his wife, Cindy, of Kingwood, Texas, David McGill and his wife, Carol, of Germantown, Tenn., and Ann McGill Cowick and her husband, Rick, of Bogart, Ga. Betty is also survived by seven grandchildren, Rita Caroline McGill, MD of Houston, Texas, Sarah Elizabeth McGill of San Antonio, Texas, Ryan McGill of Austin, Texas, Bryan McGill, Erin McGill and Allison McGill of Germantown, Tenn., and Andrew Cowick of Bogart, Ga.
Betty will be placed to rest at Roselawn Cemetery in Decatur with a memorial service being held in her honor at 11 a.m. on Wednesday July 14, 2010, at Ridout's Brown-Service Funeral Home. The family will receive friends starting at 9 a.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Baptist Church of Decatur Missions Fund