Betty McClure, age 97, passed away peacefully from this life on February 13, 2026 at her home.  Funeral Services will be led by Rev. Tim Alexander at Panola Methodist Church on February 22, 2026  at 2 pm. Burial will be in Pleasant Grove Cemetery with Skelton Funeral Home of Reform directing.  Visitation will follow the service at the church.
Betty  is preceded in death by her parents; husband,  Ray; brother, Bob; son,  Kim and daughter-in-law, Paula. She is survived by sons, Jeff McClure (Phyllis) and Jay McClure (Daphanie);  daughter, Christi McClure; six grandchildren, Addie Smith (Hunter), Mary Margaret Osment (Chris), Keith McClure (Kelly), Tracy Bryan (Justin), Haleigh McClure and Ashleigh Thomaston (Cody) and seven great-grandchildren, Landon, Price, Kip and Mills McClure, Louis, Tully and Lainey Bryan.
Betty spent most of her childhood in Galesburg, IL with a short, but memorable, time in New York City. She was an only child until her parents decided to adopt her Brother Bob.  The 10 yr age difference made her a great big sister!  Betty married her high school sweetheart, Ray McClure in 1950, one week after they both graduated from the University of Illinois.  They had 2 sons while living in Galesburg before moving to Birmingham in 1957.  After a few years there Betty had 2 more children while living in Vestavia Hills, AL.
Having a desire to help young adults she worked for a vocational program for 4 years. She spent time mentoring them and helped them prepare for employment.  She was very proud of the work she did to support these young adults and helping them join the workforce.  Once all of her 4 children were old enough to all be enrolled in school, Betty started teaching at WA Berry High School.  She taught Home Economics until she retired in the early 1990s.  She impacted 100s (1000s?) of students lives teaching the basics of cooking, cleaning, family living, finances, and etiquette.  She would have mock weddings, dinner parties and all kinds of learning experiences for the students to participate in while in her classes.
Throughout her children and grandchildren's lives she was an avid sports follower.  She and Ray proudly attended every sporting event - little league through college level. They traveled many years to the NCAA women's basketball final four tournaments.
When it came time for Betty to retire she enjoyed every minute of this new and different adventure - she LOVED IT".  Ray and Betty traveled A LOT - they have been to all 50 states, North America, South America, Europe, Africa, etc.
She lived life to the fullest and leaves a legacy of joy and celebration.  She possessed a love for all things Disney, card games (primarily bridge), travel, good quality shoes, and immaculate fashion with perfectly paired accessories.  She loved to cut a rug (dance) !! She also enjoyed sewing, knitting, and crocheting.  She had a real creative mind with crafts and projects that she would work on for the family as well as others.  She was always doing something and had an endless work ethic that she passed on to her kids.
Betty spent her final years close to family in Panola, AL.  She quickly developed close friendships with those in her new community and continued her involvement in social and civic clubs - PEO (seventy five yr member), DAR, and Homemakers.  She will be missed by all who knew her for her passion and love of friends and family.
Pallbearers will be Hunter Smith, Chris Osment, Justin Bryan, Keith McClure, Cody Thomaston and Landon McClure.
Honorary Pall Bearers are Louis Bryan, Kip McClure, Price McClure, Mills McClure
The family would like to thank caregivers, Leanne Johnson, Johnnie Spencer, and Angela Bugg and the wonderful nurses with Legacy Hospice.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the Pleasant Grove Cemetery Fund PO Box 101,  Panola, AL 35477.