Listers,

Betty Jean was always a bright spirit and fun to know.  At one COA
convention, I entered the lecture hall after the program had started and in
the darkened room I saw pictures on the screen, a person speaking, and no
one at the podium.  Later I saw there was there was a person, Betty Jean,
whose view was completely blocked by the height of the podium.  Her programs
for her far-flung trips were always wonderful, emphasizing the politeness of
the need to learn and use the word for Thank You in every native culture she
visited.

I served with her on a COA committee and told her that I could always
recognize her in a group photograph as she would always be 'the tall one' in
the picture.  She delighted in that title and in a written note to Tim
Pearce introducing me said I was the one who gave her that epithet and that
she even had a shirt made with 'the tall one' on it.

Her COA program showing a black and white photograph outside Eddie
Mugridge's shell shop on Sanibel from the 1950's with a picture of her young
sons brought back a flood of memories for me of Sanibel in pre-first bridge,
no condos, no water you could stand to drink from the water lines, and
mosquito infested times, but oh the fun of collecting shells.

Joining this list in 1996 when there were many fewer listers, I remember she
and Emilio Power were among the most active contributors and helped liven up
the list.

She had a long life of exploring for, collecting, curating, and enjoying
shells and we will miss her gentle sprit.

Alan Gettleman
Merritt Island, Florida

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