Betty Perkinson Obituary Dr. Betty Kay Jolly Perkinson "Kitty" went to be with her Lord on December 24, 2020. She was the daughter of the late Ethel Mae and Joseph Jolly and was preceded in death by her brother Jody Jolly. Kitty was a former member of Delta Kappa Gamma, Churchland Rotary Club, and Pilot Club of Portsmouth. She was a member of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church and of the Turtle Group. She received a BS Degree in English from East Carolina University, a Masters in Developmental Studies from Old Dominion University, and her PhD from George Mason University. Kitty taught in the Portsmouth Public Schools, Frederick Military Academy, Tidewater Community College, and was a visiting professor at Charles University and American University, both in Prague, Czech Republic. Kitty was a published play wright and author. Following her retirement from Tidewater Community College, she was awarded Professor Emeritus status. She loved to learn, teach, read, and write. She also enjoyed traveling, socializing, making new friends, dancing, skiing, and providing words of wisdom. Kitty was a loving wife, mother, Mimi, sister, aunt, and friend. She is survived by her husband James Perkinson, three children Caroline Lewis and husband, Robert, of Nashville, NC, Christina Thornburg and husband, Hank, of Chesapeake, and James Earl Perkinson, III and fianc , Melanie, of Portsmouth; nine grandchildren Eric Day (Leah), Emily-Kaye Day, Cara Lewis, Robert Lewis, Abbey-Mae Lewis, Henry Thornburg IV, Katherine Thornburg, Ashlyn Reed Perkinson, and Jaida Elizabeth Perkinson; mother-in-law Billie Perkinson; sister Lydia Jolly Morgan (Jack); and sisters-in-law Brenda Jolly, JoAnn Perkinson Daniels (Jerry), and Sandy Perkinson. A private service will be held at Baker-Foster Funeral Home, 5685 Lee Farm Lane, Suffolk VA 23435 with inurnment following at Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens. Kitty will be available for viewing in the funeral home on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 from 9 AM until 8 PM, with the family receiving friends from 6:30 to 8 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to psp.org. Condolences may be registered at RWBakerFH.com. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- See also: 1) https://www.rwbakerfh.com/obituaries/obituary-listings?searchName=Betty+Perkinson&page1 2) https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/pilotonline/name/betty-perkinson-obituary?id11135206 3) https://www.pilotonline.com/obituaries/Betty-Kay-Perkinson/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ## Narrative Summary of the Obituary Dr. Betty Kay Jolly Perkinson, known as Kitty, passed away on 24 December 2020. A dedicated educator and published playwright, she was survived by her husband, three children, and nine grandchildren. Kitty was remembered for her love of learning and teaching. ## Narrative Summary of Funeral Services A private service was held for Dr. Betty Kay Jolly Perkinson, with inurnment at Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens. Kitty was available for viewing at Baker-Foster Funeral Home on 30 December 2020, with family receiving friends that evening. ## The Edited Obituary Dr. Betty Kay Jolly Perkinson "Kitty" went to be with her Lord on 24 December 2020. She was the daughter of the late Ethel Mae and Joseph Jolly and was preceded in death by her brother Jody Jolly. Kitty was a former member of Delta Kappa Gamma, Churchland Rotary Club, and Pilot Club of Portsmouth. She was a member of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church and of the Turtle Group. She received a BS degree in English from East Carolina University, a master's in Developmental Studies from Old Dominion University, and her PhD from George Mason University. Kitty taught in the Portsmouth Public Schools, Frederick Military Academy, Tidewater Community College, and was a visiting professor at Charles University and American University, both in Prague, Czech Republic. Kitty was a published playwright and author. Following her retirement from Tidewater Community College, she was awarded Professor Emeritus status. She loved to learn, teach, read, and write. She also enjoyed traveling, socializing, making new friends, dancing, skiing, and providing words of wisdom. Kitty was a loving wife, mother, Mimi, sister, aunt, and friend. She is survived by her husband James Perkinson, three children Caroline Lewis and husband, Robert, of Nashville, NC, Christina Thornburg and husband, Hank, of Chesapeake, and James Earl Perkinson III and fiancée, Melanie, of Portsmouth; nine grandchildren Eric Day (Leah), Emily-Kaye Day, Cara Lewis, Robert Lewis, Abbey-Mae Lewis, Henry Thornburg IV, Katherine Thornburg, Ashlyn Reed Perkinson, and Jaida Elizabeth Perkinson; mother-in-law Billie Perkinson; sister Lydia Jolly Morgan (Jack); and sisters-in-law Brenda Jolly, JoAnn Perkinson Daniels (Jerry), and Sandy Perkinson. A private service will be held at Baker-Foster Funeral Home, 5685 Lee Farm Lane, Suffolk VA 23435 with inurnment following at Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens. Kitty will be available for viewing in the funeral home on 30 December 2020 from 9 AM until 8 PM, with the family receiving friends from 6:30 to 8 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to psp.org. Condolences may be registered at RWBakerFH.com. ## Vital Statistics Summary | Name | Dr. Betty Kay Jolly Perkinson | |---------|---------------------------------| | Age | Unknown | | Birth | Unknown; Unknown | | Death | 24 December 2020; Unknown | ## Table of Relationships | Name | Relationship | Residence | |-------------------------------|------------------|--------------------------------| | Dr. Betty Kay Jolly Perkinson | Decedent | Unknown | | James Perkinson | Spouse | Unknown | | Caroline Lewis | Child | Nashville, NC | | Christina Thornburg | Child | Chesapeake | | James Earl Perkinson III | Child | Portsmouth | | Eric Day | Grandchild | Unknown | | Emily-Kaye Day | Grandchild | Unknown | | Cara Lewis | Grandchild | Unknown | | Robert Lewis | Grandchild | Unknown | | Abbey-Mae Lewis | Grandchild | Unknown | | Henry Thornburg IV | Grandchild | Unknown | | Katherine Thornburg | Grandchild | Unknown | | Ashlyn Reed Perkinson | Grandchild | Unknown | | Jaida Elizabeth Perkinson | Grandchild | Unknown | | Ethel Mae Jolly | Parent | Unknown | | Joseph Jolly | Parent | Unknown | | Jody Jolly | Sibling | Unknown | | Lydia Jolly Morgan | Sister | Unknown | | Brenda Jolly | Sister-in-law | Unknown | | JoAnn Perkinson Daniels | Sister-in-law | Unknown | | Sandy Perkinson | Sister-in-law | Unknown | | Billie Perkinson | Mother-in-law | Unknown | ## Other Relevant Information 1. Dr. Betty Kay Jolly Perkinson, known as "Kitty," was a former member of Delta Kappa Gamma, Churchland Rotary Club, and Pilot Club of Portsmouth. 2. She was an active member of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church and the Turtle Group. 3. Kitty received a BS degree in English from East Carolina University, a master's in Developmental Studies from Old Dominion University, and her PhD from George Mason University. 4. She taught in the Portsmouth Public Schools, Frederick Military Academy, and Tidewater Community College, and was a visiting professor at Charles University and American University in Prague, Czech Republic. 5. Kitty was a published playwright and author and was awarded Professor Emeritus status following her retirement from Tidewater Community College. 6. She enjoyed learning, teaching, reading, writing, traveling, socializing, making new friends, dancing, skiing, and providing words of wisdom.