Lively, Betty
LIVELY (DYER), Betty
Betty Dyer Lively, 91, of Dacula, Georgia, passed away, December 14. She had been in a care facility for a number of years suffering from severe dementia and passed peacefully in her sleep. Betty was born in Chamblee, Georgia, to Tom and Ada Dyer, on June 28, 1929. After her mother passed away when she was a young teen, her father married Ola Lowe who became "Mama Ola" to Betty and her children.
Betty attended Bessie Tift College in Forsyth, Georgia, where she earned a certificate in Business Administration. Then she worked at Southern Bell in Chamblee. She met Ben Lively, from Waynesboro, Georgia, who had come to Chamblee to attend Southern Tech. They married on September 1, 1950. When they had children, she took care of them while occasionally working in the plumbing, heating and air-conditioning company Ben started in Chamblee in 1957.
As the company grew, Ben hired a full-time office staff, and Betty devoted herself fully to being a homemaker: wife to Ben, and mother, grandmother, and great grandmother to her five children, seventeen grandchildren, and thirteen great-grandchildren. Everyone would agree she was outstanding in her calling. Her cooking, baking, shopping, and organizing skills were inspired by love and made the Lively family a joy for each member—and their home a place where neighborhood kids frequently wanted to hang out.
Underlying Betty's devotion to family was her devotion to her Lord Jesus Christ. She was raised attending the First Baptist Church of Chamblee, Georgia. As an adult, she experienced an awakening of her faith such that her previous belief seemed only a formality to her—and so she was re-baptized in 1976. From that time, she was constantly encouraging her family and friends to a deeper faith in Christ.
Betty is survived by her husband Ben. Daughter June Price with her three married daughters: Kate and Tony Carango with children, Georgia, Henry, and Camilla; Jennifer and Dean DeGennero with children, Lola, Lucy, and Lively; and Lauren and Matt Fogarty with children, Brian, Thomas, Wyatt, and McCall. Son Ben and Lossie Lively, with married son, Benjamin and Amanda Lively [Their second son, Chris, preceded his grandmother in death, July 6, 2020]. Son David and Sabrina Lively with their four children: Irena, Clara, Nathan, and Ana. Daughter Joy and Michael Barker; their daughter Sarah and Josh Cook with their daughter Evie; their son Michael and Taylor Barker with their two children, Alina and Olivia; their son Matthew and Maranda Barker; and their son Philip Barker. Daughter Jan and Michael McCollum with their four adult children: David, Anna, Leah, and Caroline.
A socially distanced memorial service open to the public will take place at Gwinnett Church Hamilton Mill, 2000 Gravel Springs Rd, Buford, GA 30519, on Tuesday, December 29, at 2:00 PM.
