Betty Powell

January 13, 1936 - November 15, 2021

Betty Powell passed away on Nov. 15, 2021 in Houston, TX. Born Mary Elizabeth Chadwick in Birmingham, Alabama on Jan. 13, 1936, but known to all as “Betty”, she grew up in Birmingham in a close loving family, led by her father and police officer Johnny Chadwick and her mother Ruby Kilgore Chadwick. Betty graduated from Phillips High School in Birmingham and was voted Miss Phillippian by her classmates. She attended Howard College (now Samford University) and later SMU. She married Hal Jerry Powell in 1955 and continued living in Birmingham, where they were founding members of Briarwood Presbyterian Church. In 1964 the family moved to Dallas, TX. In 1975 Betty began a successful career as a residential realtor and office manager working at Paula Stringer Merrill Lynch, Coldwell Banker and co-founded her own real estate firm with partner Bob Wertheimer. Betty was a sweet, fun and generous woman who loved hosting dinners and providing overnight accommodations to family members and friends who visited Dallas. She greatly enjoyed helping her co-workers succeed and mentored several new realtors. She loved traveling, attending parties and socializing with friends. She was a big fan of the Dallas Cowboys, the Auburn Tigers and the Houston Astros and did not like interruptions during their games or episodes of Jeopardy. Most of all, she loved her family and was proud and protective of each one. In 2017 Betty moved to Houston to be near her daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and enjoyed their frequent company these last four years. She loved and maintained a special bond with her sisters and extended family. She was also very fond and appreciative of all the care-giving staff at The Abbey at Westminster, especially Folusho Caleb. Betty is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Hal Jerry Powell and brother Bill Chadwick. She is survived by her sisters Barbara Callaway and Nelda Schultz (Ken), daughter Gina Lee (Tom), step-son Hal Powell Jr., grandsons Ross Powell (Seann), Adam Lee (Chelsea) and Austin Lee (Amy), along with six great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Consistent with her generous spirit, Betty donated her body to UT Southwestern Medical School to help train future doctors. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 7th in the Founders Chapel of Grace Presbyterian Church in Houston. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that charitable donations honoring Betty be made to TADSAW, INC. (veterans assistance/dog rescue) or Augie’s Quest (to cure ALS). For those who are unable to attend in person, the memorial service will be livestreamed on Facebook and can be watched live at the following link: https://fb.me/e/ekgFFDNH5.