Elizabeth (Betty) Dean, 92, went to be with the Lord on Feb. 17, 2022. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister and aunt. She was born in Glen Cove, Long Island, on April 26, 1929, to Abram and Anna Wylie who immigrated to the U.S. from Ireland. The Wylie family moved to a chicken farm in Colts Neck, NJ, when Betty was young, and she worked with her father delivering eggs on a route to New York City. She is survived by three sisters: Yvonne Wylie of Solana Beach, CA; Doris Yuhas of Fayetteville and Noreen (Jim) Ritter of Carolina Shores, NC.
Betty married Richard Allen Dean in 1947 and they shared 65 years together before he passed away in 2012. They had two children: Randolph Allen Dean, 1956-1917 and Doreen Cox(Chuck) of Lyman, SC. She is also survived by grandchildren: Tiffany King(Jeffery) of Fort Lauderdale, FL; Ben Cox(Ginny) of Lyman, SC; David Cox(Krista) of Easley, SC; and great-grandsons Cash and Chase Cox. Betty and “Dick” spent 20 years in Fort Lauderdale, FL, where they had many good friends on “13th Street.” They later moved to Maryland where she drove a school bus, and then to South Carolina where she worked for Dunlop Sports. After retiring, Betty and Dick road-tripped across the country, making friends everywhere they stopped.
After Dick’s passing, Betty lived in Manlius for eight years. She was close to Doris and her niece, Elaine (Conway) and family. She was a member of the Manlius United Methodist Church, the Manlius Senior Center and was active in the Limestone Gardens Community, where she often hosted college football viewing parties. She was spirited, caring and referred to as “Betty Boop” for her cheerful, bubbly presence. In 2020, Betty returned to Easley, SC, to live with David and Krista, who cared for her every need for 18 months. She enjoyed spending precious time with her great-grandson Cash, going for boat rides on the lake and Sunday dinners with her family. She made lasting memories with her daughter, the boys and several long-time friends before she left this earth.
There will be a celebration of her life for friends and family at the Manlius United Methodist Church at 3 p.m. on Aug. 14, 2022. Betty will be reunited in final rest with Dick at the Veterans Cemetery at a later date.
