Bettye Sims Obituary

Bettye Jean Crocker Mitchell-Sims, 91, of Altamonte Springs, Florida, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, February 10, 2026.

She was born on June 7, 1934, in Columbus, Georgia, to the late Sammie Crocker Sr. and Hattie (Baldwin) Crocker. From an early age, Bettye accepted Christ as her Savior, beginning a lifelong journey rooted in faith, prayer, and service to others.

Bettye graduated from Aliquippa High School in 1952. In her senior yearbook, she described herself as someone who "enjoys dancing and movies… a transfer from Georgia… laughter wins her friends… will be a nurse." Those words beautifully reflected the young woman she was and the woman she would become. Her joyful spirit and infectious laughter indeed won her friends everywhere she went, and her early desire to become a nurse revealed the compassionate heart that would define her life.

Following high school, Bettye completed the Practical Nursing program at Sewickley Valley Hospital but later chose to pause her career to marry and devote herself to raising her family. Though she stepped away from formal nursing, her life became a ministry of care. She was a loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend whose home was filled with warmth, wisdom, and unwavering love.

Throughout her life, Bettye remained deeply committed to serving others. When her family relocated to Pennsylvania, she joined Triedstone Baptist Church in Aliquippa in her early teens and later became a faithful member of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, where she worshiped for 18 years. In 1989, she returned to her hometown of Columbus, Georgia, and united with Friendship Baptist Church.

Bettye was known as a prayer warrior. She prayed fervently for anyone in need, often interceding quietly but powerfully on behalf of others. She gave freely from her heart - providing meals, clothing, encouragement, and her time to those less fortunate. She volunteered in elementary school programs and worked with a Head Start program for special needs children, demonstrating her nurturing and compassionate spirit.

When she relocated back to Georgia in 1989, Bettye fulfilled her lifelong desire to work in a hospital setting by serving for 17 years as an Environmental Technician at St. Francis Hospital. Her work was more than a job; it was an extension of her servant's heart. Remarkably, she never missed a day of work - a testament to her discipline, strength, and dedication.

Yet alongside her faithfulness and service was her vibrant joy. Bettye loved to laugh - truly laugh. Her laughter was contagious and wholehearted, the kind that would leave everyone around her in tears. She enjoyed dancing, movies, and moments of lighthearted fun. Her joyful presence was a gift to all who knew her.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brothers and sisters-in-law, Sammie (Barbara) Crocker, Jr.,and Curtis (Mae Francis) Crocker, Sr.; her sister and brother-in-law, Mildred (Floyd) Dennis; her nephew, Gregory Crocker; and three precious grandchildren, Edward Fenner III, Rahman Fenner, and Christina Robertson.

She leaves to cherish her memory three devoted children: Carole (Cornell) Palmer, Dr. Anthony (Beatrice) Mitchell, Sr., and Crystal (Terry) Robertson; her grandchildren Tamara Mitchell, Chanel Fenner, Anthony (Aminata) Mitchell, Jr., and Dante (Mariama) Mitchell, and was blessed with 19 great-grandchildren and 9 great-great-grandchildren.

Bettye is further survived by her loving nieces and nephews: Sandra (Johnnie) Cannon, Barbara (Tonez)Beatty, Floyd Dennis, Curtis (Lesha) Crocker, Jr., Judith(Joseph Davis) Crocker Billingsley, and Rebecca (Calvin)McMullen; as well as her step-children, Sandra Peyton, Jennifer Gallman, and John Sims, Jr.; along with a host of extended family members, cousins, and dear friends whose lives were touched by her unwavering faith and compassionate spirit.

Bettye's life was a testimony - of faith lived out daily, of service given generously, and of love poured into family and community. She found comfort in her favorite scripture, Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Surely goodness and mercy followed her all the days of her life, and now she dwells in the house of the Lord forever.

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