Betty Dereyes

Betty Maxine Wheeler DeReyes, artist, educator, mother, free spirit, and exception to the rule, passed away on April 8, 2021 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Betty was born on 6/27/1940 in Alma, Michigan to Thurston Wheeler and Florence Thompson Wheeler. Betty attended Ashley public schools and married at 17. Unheard of for a conservative farm girl at the time, she divorced with three young children and graduated from Alma College in 1966 with a degree in art education. She began her first teaching job at St Louis High School and went on to work for the Alma Public schools where she was the director of the Art Center. In 1972, she remarried and moved to Mexico where she taught English as a second language for several years. She divorced and returned to Michigan with her fourth child in 1983. She then taught in the migrant program in Sparta and served as a permanent sub in the Grand Rapids School system. During this time, she rented two rooms in a tenement house, that she would later go on to purchase. Betty remained an active painter for most of her life, showing her work at festivals around Michigan. She was a free and adventurous person. She was an avid practitioner of Transcendental Meditation, and in recent years was actively involved with The Coptic Center. She prided herself on having walked on hot coals even as her legs were failing her. Among her personal accomplishments were traveling to St. Petersburg, Russia in 2005 for the christening of her granddaughter and later to Egypt, visiting the pyramids on 11/11/11. She enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Betty followed the news, political and otherwise, and enjoyed spirited discussions with her children and their spouses. She always spent holidays with family and instilled the importance of family ties in her children. She is survived by her 4 children: Jewel (Raul) Lopez, Joy Turner (Joseph Buttiglieri), Robert (Julie) Turner and Teofilo Reyes (Dr Tamara Toidze). Betty took great pride in the personal and professional accomplishments of her children and grandchildren. As an only child she took great pleasure in her family. She was blessed with 10 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren and 5 great great grandchildren. She loved all of them and they all loved spending time with her. Betty will be missed and long remembered by both family and friends. Anyone wishing to contribute in Betty's memory is asked to give to The Coptic Center in Grand Rapids, MI, the Michigan Democratic Party or a charity of your choice. A memorial service will be held later in the summer. www.MichiganCremation.com Cremation arrangements were entrusted to Michigan Cremation & Funeral Care, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 616-452-3006. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Betty Dereyes, please visit our flower store.