Betty Coyle, 69, passed away while she was a patient at the Cedar Park Regional Medical Center in Cedar Park, Texas, from complications of pneumonia and heart troubles.

Born in Laurel, Mississippi, she was the first born child of Leroy and Neva (Jones) Johnson.

While still in high school, her family left Mississippi to start a new life on the west coast in Fortuna, California, where she graduated from high school with honors.

In 1979, she met Bill Coyle, also of Fortuna, and after a whirlwind romance they were married on December 25 of the same year in Stockton, California, while surrounded by family.  Within a short time after they were married they became members of Wood Street Chapel in Fortuna.

One of Betty’s favorite jobs was working as the receptionist for the Dental Assisting program at College of the Redwoods in Eureka, California. Bill was also employed by the college as an instructor. Both Betty and Bill built a great rapport with their students.

Betty loved to crochet, sew, cross stitch, and above all - garden. In 1995, she contracted what we fondly refer to as the “Iris virus” from her close friend, Nancy Dimick. And, until she suffered her first stroke in 2008, she grew hundreds of irises, won many awards, and held virtually every possible office as a member of the American Iris Society, Region 14, including the AIS regional vice president. It was during her time as vice president that she chaired the very successful 2004 AIS National Convention held in Fresno, California in 2004.  Betty received the 2008 Larry Gaulter Lifetime Achievement Award from Region 14 for her service.

For the past seven years, Betty and Bill, along with their cat, had been traveling through the United States and Canada, visiting 39 states and two Canadian provinces.  Last year, she and Bill stopped for a pause in their travels in Georgetown, Texas so that Bill could undergo treatments for bladder cancer.

She is survived by her husband Bill Coyle, step children Chris Coyle (Jody) of Greenville, SC, and Lisa Nelson (Mike) of Round Rock, TX, granddaughter Caree Brooks (Scott) and great-grandson Torin Brooks of Oceanside, CA, 6 step-grandchildren, her two brothers Ralph Johnson (Karen) of Benbow, CA, and Robert Johnson (Mary) of Fortuna, CA, and many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews.  Betty was preceded in death by her parents, Leroy and Neva Johnson, her sister, Connie Dorris, and son, Darin Carter.

A Celebration of Life service will be held for Betty on February 27 at 1:00 pm at Wood Street Chapel, 1649 Wood Street, Fortuna, CA. A buffet reception will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Betty’s name to the Wood Street Chapel Children’s Church Fund.