Bette Jo Hill

Bette Jo Hill, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, passed away peacefully on October 25, 2026, in Oklahoma City. She was 84.

Bette Jo was born on August 20, 1942, in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, to Charles Phelps Wantland and Hedwig (Hedy) Neugebauer Wantland. Bette Jo’s parents moved the Wantland family from Pennsylvania to Cushing, Oklahoma when Bette Jo was only one year old. She spent her formative years in Cushing before moving with her family to Tulsa when she was in the 9th grade where she graduated from Tulsa Edison High School in 1960.

Bette Jo attended the University of Oklahoma, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta and formed friendships that would remain important throughout her life. While at OU, Bette Jo spent a semester abroad at the Sorbonne in Paris, where she became fluent in French and traveled throughout Western Europe. After returning to OU, Bette Jo continued to achieve academic excellence, and she graduated with honors from OU with a B.A. in English and minors in French and Art History. It was also during these years that she met the love of her life, Frank Davis Hill. Bette Jo and Frank were married on August 15, 1964, beginning a marriage that would span more than 62 years. Together they raised two sons, Greg and Matt, and built a life grounded in faith, family, friendship and community.

Bette Jo generously gave much of her time and talent to the Oklahoma City community. She was a longtime member of All Souls' Episcopal Church, where she served as Directress of the Altar Guild twice, taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School and volunteered in many other capacities.

During her younger years, Bette Jo was an active member of the Junior League of Oklahoma City, where she served on the executive committee and volunteered at the Remarkable Shop, the Oklahoma Theatre Center and the Omniplex. Bette Jo was a member of the Studio Art Gallery, where her paintings were frequently shown and brought happiness and joy to all who saw them. Her love of art and creativity was reflected both in her own paintings and in her involvement with the Oklahoma City Orchestra League (twice co-chairing the Decorator Show House with her dear friend, Carol Gilliland), the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and the Festival of the Arts. In an effort to continue her academic education in the fine arts and music, she earned a Master of Liberal Arts from Oklahoma City University in 1984.

Travel was another of Bette Jo's great pleasures, with numerous adventures throughout Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia, China, India, Australia, South America, and Russia. She loved discovering new places and sharing those experiences with family and friends. Yet among all the places she traveled, the interests she pursued and the friendships she enjoyed, the center of Bette Jo's life was always her family. In that regard, she loved spending time with her family during the ski season and the cool summers in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

To her five grandchildren, Bette Jo was simply and affectionately known as "Mimi." It was a name, and a role, she treasured.

Mimi took enormous joy in her grandchildren: Lindsey Ann Hill, Sarah Elizabeth Hill, Katherine Millar Hill, Eleanor Hazel Zaritsky Hill and Esther Vera Zaritsky Hill. She loved spending time with them, passing on her sense of style, following their lives and watching each grow into their own person. Being their Mimi was one of the great blessings of her life, and they, in turn, were endlessly blessed by her love, attention and presence.

Mimi was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Hedy Wantland. She is survived by Frank, her husband of 62 years; her son Greg and his wife, Ann White Hill, of Houston; her son Matt and his spouse, Eve Zaritsky, of San Francisco; her five beloved grandchildren, Lindsey, Sarah, Katherine, Eleanor and Esther; her brother, Jim Wantland, of Washington, DC; her brother-in-law, Bob Hill, of Tulsa, OK; her sister-in-law, Vicki Hill, of Tulsa, OK; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family.

Bette Jo will be remembered for her devotion to Frank and her family, her enduring friendships, her service to her church and community, her love of the arts and travel, and the genuine pleasure she took in the people around her. For those who knew her as Bette Jo, and her grandchildren fortunate to have known her as Mimi, she leaves a lifetime of memories and a legacy of love that will endure.

The family appreciates the compassionate care that Iris Memory Care of Northwest Oklahoma City, Valir Hospice, and the team of caregivers provided to Bette Jo. They are especially grateful to Merrilee Harris for her devoted care and friendship.

A Requiem Eucharist for Bette Jo Hill will be held on Friday, October 30, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at All Souls’ Episcopal Church, 6400 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73116, with a reception in the Parish Hall to follow.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to All Souls’ Episcopal Church and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73102.