Betty Joyce Stange, nee Katz, a longtime Hinsdale resident, passed away Jan. 1, 2020, surrounded by her family.
Betty, 77, was born in Oak Park to the Robert and Janet Katz and raised in LaGrange Park. She attended Forest Road School and graduated from Lyons Township High School in 1960. She went on to graduate from Southern Illinois University, where she was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. She taught at LaGrange Highlands Elementary School.
On July 18, 1965, Betty married Arthur Stange and enjoyed working alongside him at Stange's Pharmacy in Western Springs, overseeing retail sales. She had a passion for antiquing and was fascinated by paperweights. Betty was creative, artistic and skilled at creating unique gifts and crafts. She delighted in being able to share her knowledge of art and history, first as a school picture lady and, later, to her grandchildren. Betty was an avid Cubs fan and enjoyed nature, roses and watching beautiful, colorful sunsets over the lake and gulf.
Throughout her life, and especially in her fight with metastatic cancer, she carried her love for God in her daily life. Her role as wife, mother and grandmother meant the most to her and is where she drew her strength and left her legacy. Her heart was full of love and compassion. She is most cherished, beloved and will be deeply missed.
Betty is survived by her husband of 54 years, Arthur; her children, Mark (Jeff), Marcie (Kirk) Purcell, Erik (Arletta) and Andrew (Tyler); her grandchildren, Logan, Jorie, Eden, Griffin and Marin Purcell, Matthew, Braiden and Mikayla Stange, and Elenore Stange-Wallace; and her brother, Donald (Karen) Katz.
A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 27, at Christ Church of Oak Brook, 501 Oak Brook Road. Interment will be private at Bronswood Cemetery in Oak Brook.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made online to Christ Church of Oak Brook at https://www.christchurch.us, American Cancer Society at https://www.cancer.org, or to a charity of one's choice.
