Betty J. Townsend Ohs

November 26, 1927 - February 2, 2022

Betty Townsend Ohs went to be with her Lord on Wednesday, February 2, 2022. She was born to her parents, Harold and Theodora (Dobson) Backer on November 26, 1927, in Muskegon, MI, where she was a lifelong resident. She graduated from Muskegon High School in 1946, and throughout her life remained active with all the class reunions. She married Richard Townsend on November 30, 1946 and was widowed on May 25, 1978. She married Donald Ohs on September 11, 1982, and they spent 27 happy years together before he preceded her in death on June 19, 2009. Betty worked as a teacher at West Michigan Center for the Handicapped Children, South Shores School, and Wesley School for 25 years. She loved working with special needs children. Betty loved Lake Michigan, and she even has a bench dedicated to her on the south side of the Muskegon channel. Betty was very devoted to her family and to her church, Port City Church McGraft Campus. Betty will be lovingly remembered by her three children: Judy (Stan) Townsend Hale, Diane Townsend Kerekes, and Lyle (Tara) Townsend; nine grandchildren: Tami David (Scott Boyd), Janelle (Andrew) Larder, Stanley (Tiffany) Hale III, Scott Lasley, Ryan (Erin) Townsend, Kristi (Ronald) Torres, Jason Kerekes (Angela Hall), Nicholas Townsend (Kati Cole), and Lauren Gilbert; eight great-grandchildren; brother, Richard “Lefty” Backer; and special friends, Rich and Jill McMahon, and Dave and Carol Anderson. She was preceded in death by her parents; first husband, Richard “Dick” Townsend; second husband, Donald Ohs; brother, Lee Dobson; sisters in-law: June “Windy” Backer and Cathy Dobson; and her best friend, Betty Fairris. A celebration of life for Betty will be taking place in the summer of 2022. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Port City Church McGraft Campus or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Arrangements by The Lee Chapel of Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services, 6291 S. Harvey St, Norton Shores, MI, 49444.