Betty Jean Brosius

Brosius, Betty Jean, 82, died Wednesday, May 29, 2013, with her three children, Frank III, Elizabeth and Katherine, by her side. A lover of the arts, travel and family - especially as a doting grandma to her six grandchildren - Betty was a beautiful and gracious woman who brought an easy elegance to both formal dinners and family picnics alike. Born April 7, 1931, in Eyebrow, Saskatchewan, to Alfred and Ruby Kent, Betty grew up in Saskatchewan and Manitoba before the family moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where she attended high school. Raised in a family of pilots, Betty earned her private license while in her teens. After high school, Betty became a stewardess for Canadian Pacific Airlines and flew long flights across the northern Pacific, with stops and adventures in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Australia and elsewhere. While on a layover on the Aleutian island of Shemya, she met Frank Brosius Jr., a young doctor from Wichita stationed there. They courted mostly by mail and married in 1952, ultimately settling in Wichita. They shared 58 years before his death in 2010, like hers from complications of Alzheimers disease. Starting in 1983, Betty and Frank spent time each year at their home in Pagosa Springs, Colo., and also traveled extensively to see friends, the sights and their children and grandchildren. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, she operated a card and gift shop, Pickwicks. Betty loved painting and other visual arts, an appreciation she passed along to her children, whose homes now bear witness to the support she gave to local artists. When Betty decided to earn a college degree, it was in art history from Wichita State University. In addition, she volunteered at the Wichita Art Museum and extensively at Wichita State Universitys Ulrich Museum, where she served on the alliance board. Betty is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Frank “Chip” Brosius and Kate Roesch of Ann Arbor, Mich., and their daughters, Anna of Seattle, Emily of Berkeley, Calif., and Lizzy of Northhampton, Mass.; her daughter, Elizabeth of Topeka, and her daughter, Marita Robinson of Hesperus, Colo.; and her daughter and son-in-law, Katherine and Brian Whepley of Wichita, and their children, Erin and Drew. She is also survived by her sister Edith Pitt, and brother, Don Kent, both of Chilliwack, British Columbia. A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at Grace Presbyterian Church, 5002 E. Douglas, Wichita. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in Bettys name to the Ulrich Museum, Wichita State University, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67260-0046. Arrangements by Downing Lahey East.