Betty Anne Otey Pullen departed this life on Saturday, October 30, 2010, at Avante in Lynchburg, Va. She was born on February 7, 1949, to the late John Henry Otey and Annie Beatrice Spinner Otey in Bedford County, Va. She became a member of the Poplar Spring Baptist Church at an early age. She graduated from Susie G. Gibson High School in 1965 and also graduated from an accelerated five year program at Lynchburg College thus gaining both a B.A. and MBA Degree in 1980. Betty was a strong advocate for education and served as the Executive Director of Project Discovery for many years. Along with her parents, she was predeceased by her husband, John Edward Pullen; and one sister, Brenda Joyce Otey. She leaves to cherish her memory a devoted daughter, Carletha Pullen Tweedy (Ron), of Lynchburg, Va.; two sisters, Jean M. Watson (James), of Burke, Va., and Teresa C. Otey (Thomas Hall), of Goode, Va.; six nieces and nephews, Diallo Otey-Baeza, Shanticarol Otey, Shantilee Otey, Isaac OteyHall, Jared Watson and Jada Watson; one grandson, Brandon Tweedy, who was her "favorite guy;" two greatnephews Jeremiah ZarateBaeza and DeShawn OteyHall; and two special cousins that her mother and father reared as their own, Fannie Spinner Crider, of Lynchburg, Va., and John Clifford Spinner (Nea), of Washington, D.C. A Memorial Service will be held 5 p.m. on Thursday, November 4, 2010, at Poplar Spring Baptist Church, Goode, Va., with Pastor, the Rev. H.J. Robertson officiating. The cortège will assemble at the church. The family is receiving friends at the home of her daughter, 518 Bent Oak Court, Lynchburg, Va. In lieu of flowers, Betty's wish would have been that memorial contributions be made to Brandon's college fund c/o his mother, Carletha. Community Funeral Home, Lynchburg, Va., directing.


Published in Roanoke Times on November 3, 2010