Betty Lavonne (Abell) McCall

Betty Lavonne McCall, 95, passed away on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at Bridge Hospice, Blanchard Valley Hospital. She was born on June 20, 1929, in Findlay, Ohio to Charles Dewey Abell and Grace Dennis Abell. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Richard, and her six brothers: Don, Art, Francis, Fred, Jay, and Merle Abell. She is survived by children: Dianna Lab, Janet McCall (Pittsburgh), Jim McCall, and David McCall; grandchildren Isaac McCall and Janette McCall (Pittsburgh); and great-grandson Richard McCall.
Betty met her husband, Richard (Dick) McCall on a blind double date. It was love at first sight and they were true soul mates. They married on August 20, 1949.  As a young couple, she and Dick built the home where they raised their children. They enjoyed many shared interests including camping and square dancing. After retirement, they purchased property in Forest, Ohio and built a log cabin where they spent many happy weekends with family and friends. Betty worked for Bell Telephone Company from 1948-1952, first as a switchboard operator and later in their business office. 
Friendly, generous, and kind to everyone, Betty shared a beautiful smile and warm greeting with each person she encountered. She remained positive and optimistic about life throughout her 95 years and instilled that attitude in her children, who were devoted to her, visiting her daily at Birchaven Village while she was there. She was an exceptional mother who gave her children unconditional love, making each feel they were a special favorite. Actively involved in their lives, she encouraged them to pursue their talents and participate in school and youth activities as they were growing up. Betty had a beautiful singing voice and made sure her children had music lessons and participated in school choir, orchestra, or band. Another passion she passed on to her children was a great love of books and reading. She was a lifelong learner, still ordering new books into her 90s. 
A talented artist who found beauty all around her, especially in the details of nature, she was an active member of Findlay Art League for many years and a volunteer at their gallery. Her landscape paintings and portraits graced her home and are now treasured by her children.
Genealogy was another of Betty's passions and she was proud of her family roots. She was a descendant of the Richard Powell family who emigrated to Glouchester County, New Jersey and whose 17 sons fought in the Revolutionary War. She planned vacations around visits to historical societies to research family history and visited the family homestead, the Chew-Powell House, which still stands.
When her late husband, Dick, a WWII veteran, joined the Purple Heart of Hancock County, Betty became a member of the Purple Heart Women's Auxiliary and served as secretary, remaining active for many years after Dick passed.
Her family is deeply grateful to the staff at Birchaven for the compassionate care they gave Betty, and to her many friends at Birchaven who became her extended family during the last three years.
A private funeral is planned; burial will be at Maple Grove Cemetery on Friday, May 23, 2025. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Kirkpatrick-Behnke. To send condolences, please visit their website at www.kirkpatrickbehnke.com. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Betty's memory to the McCall Family Fund at Hancock County Community Foundation.
 

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