Betty Ann Jensen

Betty Ann (McLeod) Jensen passed away quietly in her Seattle home on Monday, August 4, 2025 at the age of 96, after a brief illness.

Born October 21, 1928 in Bellingham, WA to Oliver and Bessie McLeod, Betty attended Birchwood Elementary, Whatcom Jr. High and Bellingham High School (Class of 1946). She then went on to earn her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Western Washington College (now University). Betty spent the majority of her 31-year teaching career within the Seattle School District, the last 24 of which were at Adams Elementary in Ballard, retiring in 1993.

Daughter, mother, friend, educator, learner, maker, artist, mentor and fearless. These are just a few words to describe her. She was a devoted mother to her three children, while many others considered her to be their “Mom #2,” a title she lovingly accepted. She was a lifelong teacher, teaching in and out of the classroom well into retirement, including conducting beading classes at her retirement home as recently as last year. She taught by example how to carry one’s self around others. In addition to teaching, she was a keen learner and crossworder, avid world traveler, curious, kind, and insatiably creative. Even in her last days she was directing us to adjust the display of things on her dresser, or straighten a picture on the wall. Her perpetual smile and good nature have been mentioned by so many people over the past few months.

She was active in many social groups over the years, including the Tiptoppers of the 1950s, the Pacific Northwest Needle Arts Guild, Northwest Bead Society, Northwest Collage Society, Seattle Mountaineers, and so on. Betty also loved the arts—both performance and visual. She could often be found at a gallery, museum or theater around the Northwest.

Surviving her are her sons David of Seattle, WA, and Mark of Bozeman, MT, and daughter Christy (& Jamie) Gordon of Ellensburg, WA.

A celebration of her wonderful life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 25, 2025 at The Charter Club at Point Edwards, 93 Pine St, Edmonds, Washington.

“One can remain alive long past the usual date of disintegration if one is unafraid of change, insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big things, and happy in small ways.” –Edith Wharton