Obituary - Betty Fear
December 11, 2025
Betty Fear passed away on Wednesday, December 3, 2025. Services will be next summer in Big Piney.
Obituary
November 19, 1939 - December 3, 2025
Betty Louise Budd Fear was born November 19, 1939, daughter of Joe and Ruth Budd of Big Piney, Wyoming. She died on December 3, 2025. She graduated from Big Piney High School as Valedictorian of her class, then attended Loretto Heights College in Denver and went on to graduate from the University of Wyoming. She married Frank Fear and together they had three children, Mark, Susan and John. They later divorced, and in 1995 she married Rod Bennett. She lived in Big Piney most of her life, the main exception being the winters she and Rod spent in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, where they made many close friends.
She will be well remembered and missed by many in Sublette County and throughout Wyoming. She was truly a warrior for her town and community, for Sublette County and for Wyoming. She had made a career of working towards "what’s good for Wyoming communities." She was on the local School Board, the State Board of Education, on the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees and was dedicated to the needs of education at all levels. She served as Sublette County Commissioner, as a member of the Sublette County Treatment Court, the Sublette Community Partnership Board and the Sublette Center Board. She founded the Big Piney-Marbleton Community Development Committee, hoping to inspire young community members and business owners to invest time and energy to keep the community she loved alive and make it thrive. She was a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church, playing the piano for weekly services for many years. She used her musical abilities to generously give her time to accompany many Big Piney High School (BPHS) aspiring musicians in school competitions and volunteered her time to be assistant director for many BPHS musical theatrical productions. In addition, she helped with 4-H activities, was the High School Rodeo sponsor, local rodeo Secretary as well as being the Secretary of the Wyoming Rodeo Association.
She touched many in her life through her many professional roles. She worked at the bank in Big Piney, was both the Middle School secretary and Social Studies teacher, Justice of the Peace in Big Piney, Real Estate Broker, co-owner of The Country Cottage clothing store, original co-owner of The Marbleton Inn and Restaurant. She hired and trained many young people in various capacities; she was never a soft touch. Today, many of her trainees give her credit for their success later in life, because she expected and insisted that they do their jobs right.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband Rod Bennett; her parents, Joe and Ruth Budd, and her granddaughter, Reagan Marie Nelson. She is survived by her sisters, Mary Budd Flitner and Nancy Budd Espenscheid; her children, Mark Fear, daughter Susan Fear Nessan (Doug Nessan), son John (Jody Alexander) Fear; and six grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Ceremonial services will be held next summer at the Big Piney Cemetery. Betty will be greatly missed by friends of all ages, vocations and callings.
Memorial contributions in Betty's memory can be made to the Green River Valley Museum, P.O. Box 12 Big Piney, WY 83113; or Sublette County Health Hospital, P.O. Box 627, Pinedale, WY 82941.
|
