Betty June Maynard's Obituary
Betty Maynard, age 93, died peacefully surrounded by her children Phil and “Grace” Michelle in the morning just before Thanksgiving 2021 at her home in Concord, California. Her daughter Helen had visited her recently from the East Coast.
Betty was kind and sweet. She was a good mother to her children, grandmother to her grandchildren, wife to her husband Don for 67 years, and friend to many. She had a gentle spirit and set a fine example for her family. She had gifts of hospitality and correspondence.
Betty was born in San Francisco in 1928 to Fred and Lydia Jordan. She was the oldest of all her many cousins so was the first in her family to go to college, graduating from San Francisco State University with her elementary school teaching degree. She met Don Maynard in Berkeley at a square dance and fell in love. They were married in 1953 in Berkeley and made their first home there. She taught first grade until her first child was born. Then she stayed home to raise their three children until they were well established in school. Then she was a teacher’s aide, then the school librarian for an elementary school in Hayward and then a children’s librarian for a City of Hayward library.
About five years after Don and Betty married, Philip was born. “Grace” Michelle and Helen soon followed. Phil remembers how his mom enjoyed taking care of us kids, whether it was making our lunches, cleaning our home, paying bills, reading us bed time stories, and bandaging my skinned knees with love. Grace remembers her driving Helen and Grace to many play rehearsals and teaching her to sew and set a correct table. Helen remembers games of "Michigan Rummy" and "Pit" when camping.
Betty and Don helped start the United Church of Hayward and they served there in a variety of roles. Betty had the “traveler’s gene” and they took the family camping all over California and across the US. Later, they traveled all around the globe. She was always studying travel magazines and catalogs for their next trip.
We appreciate all the wonderful caregivers at Penny’s Guesthouse and Hope Hospice for helping Betty and the family. She missed Don and looked forward to being with him again.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband Don, her parents, her grandson Mark Nichols, and her sister and brother-in-law Barbara and Al DeMartini. She is survived by her three children Phil Maynard and his wife Lisa and son Nicholas “Rota,” her daughter “Grace” Michelle Nichols and her husband Ron and their daughter Amy, and her daughter Helen Maynard and her partner Dana and son Jordan. While she had a handful of long-time friends, we include a special mention of two of Betty’s best friends from Mission High School in San Francisco, Gloria Davis and Eleanor Fletcher.
There was not a memorial service for Betty Maynard due to Covid concerns but she and Don are interred together at Chapel of the Chimes in Hayward, CA.
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