Betty Lou Hood Atwell

Betty Lou Hood Atwell, 90, daughter of the late Dr. Marshall Henry Hood and Ann Clyde Robertson Hood was born in Portsmouth, Virginia. A woman of uncommon grace, she passed away peacefully in her Mother's four poster bed with her daughter by her side on August 30th in Southern Pines, North Carolina. She graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth and St. Mary's Junior College in Raleigh, North Carolina. She then attended The University of South Carolina where she joined the Pi Beta Phi Sorority. She met and married James "Droopy" Anderson Atwell who had returned as a WWII paratrooper to become the quarterback for The South Carolina Gamecocks. The young couple returned to Portsmouth where he became a partner in Johnson Atwell Opticians. He preceded her in death in 2002. She was president of the Service League, as well as being a top notch realtor. She loved horseback riding, gardening, creating bonsai and doll houses, collecting antiques and all things Steiff. Everyone of God's creatures she met, she cared about whether they were two-legged or four-legged. Family members include her daughter, Betty Adair Atwell Beutel and the late William C. Beutel of Pinehurst, North Carolina; brother-in-law, Thomas Frances Ellis of Raleigh, North Carolina; niece, Debra Ellis Boyle and husband, The Honorable Terrence W. Boyle of Edenton, North Carolina; nephew, M. H. Hood Ellis and wife, Anne Detgen Ellis of Edenton, North Carolina; great-nieces and nephews, Anna Boyle Roberts and husband, Jeff, William Ellis Boyle and wife, Samantha, Mary Ellis Kolb and husband, Gordon, Thomas Patrick Boyle and wife, Amy, Hannah Garland Ellis, Britton deRosset Ellis, Marshall Hood Ellis and her cousin, Robin Robertson Starr and husband, Edwin. Heartfelt appreciation goes to her friend and devoted caregiver, Vanessa Stancil. And last, her four legged friends, Baxter and Emma who were always there for her. A graveside memorial service will be held in Chuchland Baptist Church Cemetery at 2:00 PM Saturday, October 1, 2016 with Dr. Dan Koger officiating. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Moore County Humane Society (Baxter and Emma's first home) Post Office Box 203, Sothern Pines, North Carolina 28387.

Betty Lou Hood Atwell

August 30, 2016