Betty Jo (Doty) Walley

Betty Jo Doty Walley, a former longtime resident of LaGrange, TN; a civic leader; enthusiastic hostess; committed historian; devoted Christian; and caregiver to multitudes of less fortunate, died peacefully Wednesday morning, July 1, 2015 at Foxbridge Assisted Living following an extended illness.

A service celebrating her remarkable life will be held on 1 P.M. Friday, July 3rd at the Lagrange Methodist Church, with visitation – including refreshments as she would have insisted – at the church for friends and family two hours prior to the service. Interment will follow in the Walley Family plot of the LaGrange Cemetery. Arrangements will be provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes & Cremation Center - Main Chapel of Somerville.

Betty was born on May 5, 1930, in Chattanooga to Mortimer Andrew Doty and Mamie Jo Cannon Doty. She was the first in her family to attend college where she graduated from the then University of Chattanooga with a degree in Medical Technology. On February 26, 1955, she married John M. Walley who would be her life partner for 55 years. Betty’s medical career was placed on hold for 20 years while she raised her three children. During this period, she and John began what would be a lifetime of “Reverie” – the name they gave the home they bought and restored in LaGrange.

Betty’s passion for people and their history inspired her to co-found the LaGrange Civic Club with several of the community’s matriarchs. She labored tirelessly and successfully to have LaGrange zoned as a National historic district, pass ordinances to protect its structures, and establish the LaGrange Civic Center.  In addition, residents of and visitors to LaGrange will be inspired for generations to come with the magnificent magnolias lining the thoroughfares which she personally helped plant 50 years ago, along with the wrought-iron signage greeting travelers to “LaBelle Village” which she helped erect and maintain. Partly owing to this work, Betty was appointed by a series of Tennessee Governors to serve on the Tennessee Historical Commission where she actively oversaw the preservation and recognition of many of Tennessee’s historic sites.

Betty returned to the workforce in the mid-1970’s, working for over 20 years as a Laboratory Medical Technologist at the Bolivar Community Hospital. Seeing an unmet need that would help save lives, in 1984 she was instrumental in forming a county-wide campaign to raise $11,000 to purchase the first “Jaws of Life” tool to assist in the emergency extraction of victims in automobile crashes. As a result, the Hardeman County Chamber of Commerce recognized her with their “Outstanding Citizen Award”. “Outstanding” is the right word to describe Betty.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband John in 2010. She is survived by her daughter Janis Lichterman of Memphis; her sons Scott Walley of Memphis and Page Walley of Auburn, AL; and eight grandchildren – all for whom she made childhood a wonderland adventure.

Those honored to serve as pallbearers will be Evan Lichterman, Eric Lichterman, Blake Walley, Jordan Walley, Scott Walley and Page Walley.

The family requests that memorials be directed to the LaGrange Methodist Church, P.O. Box 75, LaGrange, TN 38046, LaGrange Civic Center, 14600 LaGrange Road, LaGrange, TN 38046 or the LaGrange Cemetery Association, c/o Eileen Cowan, 85 Pine Street, LaGrange, TN 38039.