Obituary of Betty Smith McCoy

Betty Smith Powell McCoy died in Glencoe, Alabama on Monday, November 21, 2022 at age of 90 due to heart disease. She had just celebrated her 90th birthday on Saturday with family and friends coming by to see her. The 11th of 12 Smith children, Betty Lou was born on November 19,1932 to parents James Arthur and Katie Lee (Traylor) Smith in the small community of Tenbroeck on Sand Mountain in Dekalb County, Alabama Graduating from Gadsden High School in 1949, Betty attended Auburn University where she met and married Richard Eugene Powell (1928-1990) on September 21, 1951. They had two daughters, Lori Kate and Ellen Marie. Betty spent her adult years pursuing her two greatest passions; obtaining higher education and traveling the world. She eventually obtained a bachelors degree at the University of South Alabama ; a masters degree in Career Guidance, and her doctorate degree in Christian Counseling. Her career was spent working in the state of Alabama as a teacher, a school counselor and an administrator. Post retirement she met and married Carl Milton McCoy (1918-2001) a retired army colonel. Together they enjoyed traveling to many places in the US. After his passing, she traveled more extensively visiting numerous foreign countries including .......Spain, France, England, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Australia, New Zealand and China. Her last loving companion was Jimmy Smothers, a sportswriter at the Gadsden Times. Together they worked, traveled, authored books, attended local functions, and enjoyed having fun. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husbands, daughter, Ellen P Murray, her step-son Bob McCoy, her sisters Noma Lee Wilbanks, Doris May Mitchell, Dixie Joyce Dennis, Jimmie Faye Williams, Billie Rose Rains, Sarah Frances Croft, and brothers Lester Smith, Hoyt Oscar Smith, Calvin Joe Smith, and Bobby Smith. She is survived by her daughter, Lori Powell Rogers, sons-in-law David L Rogers and Edward L Murray; and stepsons. Also surviving are her grandchildren and great grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews. Memorial services will be held at 10am on Saturday, December 17, 2022 at W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel with committal services to follow in DeKalb Memorial Gardens.