Obituary of Bettie Joy White

Bettie Joy Ka'iulani White Bettie Joy Ka’iulani (Keyes) White died at her home in Olympia, July 1, 2011. She was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, October 1, 1931, to Edward Clarence Keyes and Elizabeth Francis (Sutherland) Keyes Belser. From Waikiki, Joy witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. She recounted the attacking aircraft, the flashes and thunderous explosions of bombs detonating, and black smoke billowing from ships anchored at Pearl Harbor. Following the attack, Joy returned with family members to US mainland for safety during the remainder of WWII, and later returned to Hawaii, where she graduated from Punahou High School in 1951. In Honolulu, Joy was a very talented portrait coloration artist in the days when black and white photos needed to be tinted by hand to appear in color. In Olympia, Joy worked at the old St. Peter Hospital as a nurse's aide. For the past thirty years, Joy provided the best in-home care a person could imagine. Joy married William Beers, they had four children: William Beers, Charlotte, NC; Scott Beers, Lisa (Beers) Kirry, and Michael Beers, all of Olympia. She later married Ernest "Ernie" White of Olympia. Joy moved her family to Olympia in 1964, where she has lived until her passing. In recent years, Joy liked online correspondence with family and friends, and the company of her cats, Kapa and Kahi. Joy was also survived by her sisters Dana "Snook" (Keyes) DiRito and Camille (Keyes) Fesmire, grandchildren Jeana Marie, Rachael, William Zachory, Amber, Jason, Alissa, Krista, Tyler, Trevor, Heidi, Ben, Jaimee, and, Kimberly, and great grand children Erin, Allison, Sam, Georgie, Zoe, Piper, Jack, James, Mollie, Lily, Eowyn, Lelani, Tyler, Issabella, Connor, Grady, and Elsie. Joy was predeceased by husband Ernest “Ernie” White in 1995 and great granddaughter Charlotte “Charley” Beers in 2010.