BURGESS, Betty Gene

10/21/2010 10:24:00 AM Email this article • Print this article Betty Gene Bond Burgess Betty Gene Bond Burgess Betty Gene Bond Burgess, said to be an accomplished, kind, vivacious, intelligent, creative, and beautiful mother, friend, wife, and citizen activist, passed away in her sleep on Oct. 2. in Seattle. Born Sept. 8, 1936, in Washington, D.C., she is survived by her children, Sally (Lee) Fouche, Bill (Julie) Burgess and Lisa (Brian) Burgess; and their father, Bill Burgess, Sr.; and eight grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Jack Reese. Burgess was raised in Leadville where her father, Eugene Bond, practiced law, and her mother taught school. Following WWII, she lived with her parents in Berlin while her father worked on the Nuremburg trials. Her mother, aware of the suffering in the bombed-out city, set up an informal soup kitchen in their home. This made a great impression on her. They returned to Leadville, but moved to Denver during her high- school years. Throughout her life she maintained connections to Leadville and Twin Lakes, where she had a mountain cabin. She attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where she met her first husband, Bill Burgess. They raised their three children in Colorado Springs and together were devoted parents. During those years Betty Burgess became active in the League of Women Voters, the Democratic Party, American Association of University Women and the Tri-Delta alumna group. She continued her education at UCCS, graduating with a B.A. in sociology and English literature, followed by a master's degree in social work from the University of Denver. She worked for Catholic Community Services in Colorado Springs as the Vietnamese Resettlement Director and eventually set up her own business, Child Care Evaluations and Mediations, working to help families through a difficult and contentious time with grace and wisdom. She was a strong advocate for the best interests of children and is said to be widely regarded for her work. She also worked part-time for the Mental Health Center as a therapist, and it was here that she met and married a fellow therapist, Jack Reese. Their years together were filled with work, travel, skiing and happy times, many of them at Twin Lakes. Following Jack Reese's death in 2005, she moved to Seattle to be close to her two daughters and their families. She was said to be widely and deeply loved by a cadre of devoted friends and family. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Saturday, Oct. 23, at Sacred Heart in Colorado Springs, followed by an Irish wake at The Cliff House in Manitou Springs. Remembrances may be made to the League of Women Voters, P.O. Box 7888, Colorado Springs, CO 80933.