Innovative educator and writer Betty Freeman passed away peacefully on March 31, 2012, in Woodland Hills, Calif. at the young age of 98.
Betty was born Nov. 14, 1913, in the small town of Marmarth, N.D. After her father's death in 1924, she and her mother, grandmother and brother moved to California.
Betty attended Van Nuys High School and later UCLA, graduating with a degree in education and a minor in music. She taught music and general ed in LAUSD elementary schools.
In 1960 she received her MA in Education at USC, placing 1st and 2nd in L.A. in her oral and written exams to become a principal. She was a principal at Hazeltine Elementary and then at Dixie Canyon Avenue Elementary, which during her tenure became the highest rated elementary school in the LAUSD.
She is noted with pioneering an "open class" system for her 4th-6th grades, providing three periods a day, and also introducing after-school electives such as film editing and aeronautics.
She retired in 1977 to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a writer. Betty wrote articles for the LA Times and Chicago Tribune and started the first So Cal chapter of the California Writer's Club (CWC) later becoming president of the entire statewide organization.
After the death of her husband, Oscar and Emmy award winning film editor Charles L. Freeman in 2001, Betty moved to the Motion Picture and Television Fund (MPTF) bringing her CWC chapter with her.
Fascinated by the creative and bright individuals who had become her new neighbors, Betty began a writing collaboration with MPTF volunteer Lauren Dow to create a book of interviews of the residents.
In 2005, Variety Magazine published their book, "Behind the Silver Screen", with an introduction by Kevin Spacey.
An avid and talented gardener, Betty filled most of the resident garden plots with flowering plants and made daily flower arrangements for the MPFT residents, especially for the frequent birthdays!
She maintained the gardens by herself until the age of 96.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles. Betty is survived by her children, Richard Freeman (Candace Howerton), Jerilyn Covel (Charles Grotke) and Jill Freeman (Joel Wachbrit), grandchildren April, Jason and Rune, and four great grand children. Also many nieces and nephews and many, many friends. She will be greatly missed by all.
Info found here...
Betty was born Nov. 14, 1913, in the small town of Marmarth, N.D. After her father's death in 1924, she and her mother, grandmother and brother moved to California.
Betty attended Van Nuys High School and later UCLA, graduating with a degree in education and a minor in music. She taught music and general ed in LAUSD elementary schools.
In 1960 she received her MA in Education at USC, placing 1st and 2nd in L.A. in her oral and written exams to become a principal. She was a principal at Hazeltine Elementary and then at Dixie Canyon Avenue Elementary, which during her tenure became the highest rated elementary school in the LAUSD.
She is noted with pioneering an "open class" system for her 4th-6th grades, providing three periods a day, and also introducing after-school electives such as film editing and aeronautics.
She retired in 1977 to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a writer. Betty wrote articles for the LA Times and Chicago Tribune and started the first So Cal chapter of the California Writer's Club (CWC) later becoming president of the entire statewide organization.
After the death of her husband, Oscar and Emmy award winning film editor Charles L. Freeman in 2001, Betty moved to the Motion Picture and Television Fund (MPTF) bringing her CWC chapter with her.
Fascinated by the creative and bright individuals who had become her new neighbors, Betty began a writing collaboration with MPTF volunteer Lauren Dow to create a book of interviews of the residents.
In 2005, Variety Magazine published their book, "Behind the Silver Screen", with an introduction by Kevin Spacey.
An avid and talented gardener, Betty filled most of the resident garden plots with flowering plants and made daily flower arrangements for the MPFT residents, especially for the frequent birthdays!
She maintained the gardens by herself until the age of 96.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles. Betty is survived by her children, Richard Freeman (Candace Howerton), Jerilyn Covel (Charles Grotke) and Jill Freeman (Joel Wachbrit), grandchildren April, Jason and Rune, and four great grand children. Also many nieces and nephews and many, many friends. She will be greatly missed by all.
Info found here...
Innovative educator and writer Betty Freeman passed away peacefully on March 31, 2012, in Woodland Hills, Calif. at the young age of 98.
Betty was born Nov. 14, 1913, in the small town of Marmarth, N.D. After her father's death in 1924, she and her mother, grandmother and brother moved to California.
Betty attended Van Nuys High School and later UCLA, graduating with a degree in education and a minor in music. She taught music and general ed in LAUSD elementary schools.
In 1960 she received her MA in Education at USC, placing 1st and 2nd in L.A. in her oral and written exams to become a principal. She was a principal at Hazeltine Elementary and then at Dixie Canyon Avenue Elementary, which during her tenure became the highest rated elementary school in the LAUSD.
She is noted with pioneering an "open class" system for her 4th-6th grades, providing three periods a day, and also introducing after-school electives such as film editing and aeronautics.
She retired in 1977 to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a writer. Betty wrote articles for the LA Times and Chicago Tribune and started the first So Cal chapter of the California Writer's Club (CWC) later becoming president of the entire statewide organization.
After the death of her husband, Oscar and Emmy award winning film editor Charles L. Freeman in 2001, Betty moved to the Motion Picture and Television Fund (MPTF) bringing her CWC chapter with her.
Fascinated by the creative and bright individuals who had become her new neighbors, Betty began a writing collaboration with MPTF volunteer Lauren Dow to create a book of interviews of the residents.
In 2005, Variety Magazine published their book, "Behind the Silver Screen", with an introduction by Kevin Spacey.
An avid and talented gardener, Betty filled most of the resident garden plots with flowering plants and made daily flower arrangements for the MPFT residents, especially for the frequent birthdays!
She maintained the gardens by herself until the age of 96.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles. Betty is survived by her children, Richard Freeman (Candace Howerton), Jerilyn Covel (Charles Grotke) and Jill Freeman (Joel Wachbrit), grandchildren April, Jason and Rune, and four great grand children. Also many nieces and nephews and many, many friends. She will be greatly missed by all.
Info found here...
Betty was born Nov. 14, 1913, in the small town of Marmarth, N.D. After her father's death in 1924, she and her mother, grandmother and brother moved to California.
Betty attended Van Nuys High School and later UCLA, graduating with a degree in education and a minor in music. She taught music and general ed in LAUSD elementary schools.
In 1960 she received her MA in Education at USC, placing 1st and 2nd in L.A. in her oral and written exams to become a principal. She was a principal at Hazeltine Elementary and then at Dixie Canyon Avenue Elementary, which during her tenure became the highest rated elementary school in the LAUSD.
She is noted with pioneering an "open class" system for her 4th-6th grades, providing three periods a day, and also introducing after-school electives such as film editing and aeronautics.
She retired in 1977 to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a writer. Betty wrote articles for the LA Times and Chicago Tribune and started the first So Cal chapter of the California Writer's Club (CWC) later becoming president of the entire statewide organization.
After the death of her husband, Oscar and Emmy award winning film editor Charles L. Freeman in 2001, Betty moved to the Motion Picture and Television Fund (MPTF) bringing her CWC chapter with her.
Fascinated by the creative and bright individuals who had become her new neighbors, Betty began a writing collaboration with MPTF volunteer Lauren Dow to create a book of interviews of the residents.
In 2005, Variety Magazine published their book, "Behind the Silver Screen", with an introduction by Kevin Spacey.
An avid and talented gardener, Betty filled most of the resident garden plots with flowering plants and made daily flower arrangements for the MPFT residents, especially for the frequent birthdays!
She maintained the gardens by herself until the age of 96.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles. Betty is survived by her children, Richard Freeman (Candace Howerton), Jerilyn Covel (Charles Grotke) and Jill Freeman (Joel Wachbrit), grandchildren April, Jason and Rune, and four great grand children. Also many nieces and nephews and many, many friends. She will be greatly missed by all.
Info found here...
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