Darlene was born July 29, 1934, in Seminole, Oklahoma, and passed away from the ravages of dementia in Sun City Georgetown on January 17, 2023, at the age of 88. A brain MRI in December of 2018 demonstrated moderate atrophy and mild microvascular disease consistent with Alzheimer’s dementia. Darlene’s final days were cared for lovingly at home by her husband Keith with help from Altus Hospice. She remained joyful and smiling, especially when Keith was talking with her to keep her happy.
She moved from Oklahoma with her parents Allen Leroy Bethany and Wilma Mary (Quigley) Bethany along with her sister, Phyllis, and brother, Glenn, to Russell County, Kansas, where Allen was employed in the booming oil fields. Darlene lived with her parents attending Russell County Country Schools through eighth grade.
Preceding her in death were her parents, Allen Leroy and Wilma Bethany, her son, Brett Allen Willson, her sister, Phyllis Bethany Evans her husband, Robert Evans and sister-in-law, Karen Bethany.
Darlene is survived by her husband, Keith Willson, and her brother, Glenn Bethany of Colorado Springs. She is also survived by nieces and nephews, Debbie Wilder (Fred) of Austin, Cindy Jochetz (Buz) of Houston, John Bethany (Shelly) of Monument, Colorado, and David Bethany (Val) of Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Darlene attended and graduated from Russell High School where she met and dated her future husband Keith Willson. Both graduated Class of 1951. After High School she attended a business school in Denver. After completing business school she returned to Russell, Kansas to marry her High School sweetheart Keith Willson October 23, 1953. A son Brett Allen Willson was born December 28,1954.
Husband Keith was temporally transferred to the North American Plant in Downey, California, that lasted two years. During this time Darlene attended College to refresh her secretarial skills and ended up with a Business Administration Degree from University of Houston in 1972. She started her career as a Unit Manager at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston from where she retired in 1996.
Darlene and her husband had a passion for travel. The retirement years were the most enjoyable years of their marriage with travel and Sun City neighbors. Early in their retirement they purchased a small pop-up top camper van. Darlene especially enjoyed the adventure of their van camper travels. Darlene had to step up on the van counter to crawl up into the pop-up bed. Once there she felt snug with a screened windows and roll down curtains. Other comforts of the van were generator, satellite TV, microwave, and AC although not very efficient. If the temp was 80 degrees or above at bedtime they would get a motel. Also had portable toilet, stove and heater. They spent many nights in Walmart lighted and secure parking.
Their travels totaled 118,000 miles visiting all 49 continental United States and all the Provinces of Canada and some of its territories. This was done in 561 travel days over 12 years. A total of 328 nights were spent sleeping in the van. The two trips to Alaska totaled 17,700 miles, 81 travel days and 58 nights in van. Darlene loved traveling to and from the New England States, especially time in Maine.
During these years they did have travel couples that shared rental car expenses. They would plan a trip, book air travel to the nearest international airport, pick up a booked rental car for their planned but unbooked travel. Sometimes but not all would have the first and last night reserved. Darlene loved these trips, especially to Australia and Tasmania where they met Paul and Debbie Riley who were on their honeymoon. Darlene and Keith continued to travel with the Riley’s over the next 20 plus years and even became the godparents to the Riley’s first born, Harry Riley.
They got an exceptional buy on airfare for a long weekend trip Lima, Peru. They did this trip solo. Spent the night in Lima airport and booked RT flights next morning to Cusco. They made their way for down from Cusco by train for two days in Machu Picchu. Darlene loved Cusco as well Machu Picchu.
They got another exceptional buy on RT airfare to China. The trip was also solo flying to Beijing and home from Hong Kong. Used the same approach making hotel reservations for the first night only. Local air and train transportation were used to visit Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong. Took place before the China Olympics, the Beijing Airport needed some major upgrades.
Darlene’s memories: China people were nice but you don’t want to get in a que with them unless you are willing to stand your ground. She needed a restroom while buying airline tickets to Guangzhou in Shanghai, clerk took her to a trench out back and handed her toilet paper. There were grade school kids with their teacher having lunch on the Shanghai Bund. They were adorable and all wanted their pictures taken. The streets and sidewalks were packed with bicycles, not with cars as they are now. The fine hotels in the China cities were all managed my Europeans.
They got their rather expensive visas at China’s Houston Embassy and were happy to find the visas were still good years later for a visit to China by cruise ship.
Lines were long for the train to Hong Kong from Guangzhou and they were running out of time. An enterprising young lady said she would get us tickets which she did somehow. She was very upset when they would not pay her until she got them on the train.
Shocked when the cheapest hotel they could find in Hong Kong was $300 a night, you did get a free drink. Later when they visited Shanghai by cruise ship they come in after dark to dock right down town. Coming into down town Shanghai was one of the most impressive light shows of their many trips. The river boats and town were lighted up and flashing; was a Carnival like entrance.
They last few of their travel years were made by cruising to places they had not visited before. Darlene was spoiled cruising with Holland America’s most intimate ship, the 669-foot long, 835 passenger Prinsendam. It could and did go places no other cruise ship could go. On cruising the Antarctic made passages between glaciers that other ships could not. Darlene was hooked, twice took Prinsendam through Panama Cannel around the coast of South America, cruising the Antarctic, then up the east coast to the Falklands into the Amazon River to Manaus and back to Florida.
Another highlight was the Prinsendam cruising the Kiel Canal on a beautiful Sunday afternoon with the band playing on the deck and people picnicking and waving along the canal. This 60-mile long Canal cut off many miles for ships sailing from the North Sea to Baltic Sea. Made several cruises before the ship was sold. Made a trip to the Svalbard Archipelago visiting Spitzbergen, Longyearbyen and on North to the Arctic ice pack to within a few hundred miles of the North Pole. Visited their Research stations and the most Northern Post office. Made several cruises before the Prinsendam was sold in 2019.
Another notable cruise was the what they called “Ring of Fire” cruise, leaving Seattle going to Alaska then the Aleutian Islands, down around the Ring of Fire to Australia then to several islands, on to Hawaii to San Diego. Darlene loved the visits to Asia and walking the Island home of the free roaming Komodo dragons.
Other notable things Darlene was quite proud of was crossing the Panama Canal five times including a trip on the new canal. She was also quite proud of being a Holland America five star Mariner along with all the rights and privileges associated.
Memorial donations may be made in Darlene’s name to Special Friends through:
The Worship Place
811 Sun City Blvd.
Georgetown, Texas 78633.
Note: NDW Special Friends in Memo line
Darlene (NDW) was active from the onset of the 2004 establishment of Special Friends, a ministry of The Worship Place that provides several hours of weekly care each Thursday of a loved one challenged with memory care needs. This structured program provides morning snack and wonderful lunch time as well as special presentations by entertainers, musicians, exercise and fitness time, games and activities that give each participant a sense of worth and purpose to come each week with a one-on-one buddy system. Darlene attended and assisted as a “friend” to provide the support needed.
As the years progressed it was a blessing, when the need arose, that Darlene could become the care receiver of the supporters of Special Friends. The program blessed her when she was able to attend and also gave Keith the comfort to know she was participating and enjoying the time she had with this ministry. Darlene loved attending this program until she was no longer able.