Betty McMichael Rathbun
Funeral services for Ms. Betty McMichael Rathbun will be held at 1 PM Saturday, April 6, 2024, at Hope Methodist Church with interment in Hope Cemetery. Visitation will be 12 PM – 1 PM Saturday, April 6, 2024, at Hope Methodist Church. John E. Stephens Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Betty McMichael Rathbun, born October 11, 1943, went to be with our Lord on March 24, 2024, at the age of 80. She passed away peacefully in Houston, TX with her children by her side. Betty lived a wonderful and full life. She grew up in Philadelphia, Mississippi the only daughter of four children. After graduating high school in 1961, she completed her college degree in three years from The University of Southern Mississippi in 1964.Betty then moved to New Orleans to work for Humble Oil Company. From there she married and started a family.
After New Orleans, Betty lived in numerous places, from the Highlands of Scotland to Anchorage, Alaska. Most of her life was spent in Texas, where she lived in Houston, Austin, and Corpus Christi. Her final years were spent on the bay in Galveston where she lived independently, enjoying her retirement days with many friends and family around her, prior to her passing of Leukemia. Betty had an entrepreneurial spirit having started several small businesses over her lifetime, and was most passionate about the medical recruiting business that she started in her mid-40’s.
Betty had such an enduring love and loyalty for her Mississippi family. She never missed the annual Neshoba County Fair, which was one of the most special times of the year for her. She couldn’t wait to reconnect and have quality time with her family and high school friends. She would spend weeks just getting ready for the trip and would talk about it with such excitement.
Betty’s children and their families enjoyed many a Neshoba County Fair together. Growing up with three brothers in the country made her one tough, young lady. Those who knew her were aware that she wasn’t someone you could mess with or run over.
Because of this, her brothers affectionately nicknamed her ‘Tiger’. Betty had a dedicated circle of friends she loved to be with in Houston and Galveston. She had such a good time with neighbors, her water aerobics gang and her Galveston Country Club golfing group. “Bett”, as she was known by her Galveston buddies, started golfing in her early 70’s and loved it!
She had the amazing delight of making a ‘hole in one’ in 2019 on a par 3 with her golfing group in Burnett, Texas. She loved playing golf so much, she decided to be buried in her golf attire. Betty was such fun you could not help but have a good time when you were around her.
She loved spending time with family and playing a good joke on her beloved grandchildren and nieces. Nana’s grandchildren had her full adoration and boy was it mutual! For many years of their youth, they referred to their time with her as “NaNa Camp” and frequently called her “Super NaNa”.
They would spend numerous hours at Moody Gardens, the beach, fishing off the bay house dock, Galveston’s Pleasure Pier, making forts, playing Putt Putt and probably most of all, engaged in a good competitive game of Rummikub…Oh how she loved to play Rummikub!
Betty is preceded in death by her dear parents, Audry and Elva McMichael, her beloved stepfather, Clyde White and nephew, David McMichael.
She is survived by her daughter, Lisa Bandy and husband, Griff Bandy; her son, Jason Rathbun and wife, Shay Rathbun and six grandchildren; Preston Rathbun, Peyton Rathbun, Davis Bandy, Chap Bandy, Philip Bandy and Lila Bandy; her brothers, John McMichael and wife Peggy, Jack McMichael and wife, Jan and Bob McMichael, and her precious nieces; Melody, Jordan, Tiffany and Amy.