Obituary of Elizabeth Irene Ivey

Elizabeth Irene (Davis) Ivey passed away on Saturday, November 6, 2015, at age 84. Bette was born on March 12, 1931 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, to George Newton Davis and Lottie Eugenia (Dupuy) Davis. She graduated from Tulsa’s Central High in 1949, and earned Bachelor’s (1953) and Master’s degrees from Tulsa University. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Theta Alpha Phi, and Kappa Kappa Gamma. In the Thespian Society, Bette’s roles included Elizabeth I in Shakespeare’s Henry VIII. For the past five years Bette cared devotedly for her one true love, her best friend and husband of 63 years, James William Ivey Jr. They met and shared their first kiss at TU, married on January 22, 1953, then set out on adventures. Their world travels gave Bette many opportunities to attend the theatre in London and Athens. They lived in Tripoli, Libya from 1965-1981. Bette taught English literature at TU and at the US Armed Forces University of Maryland in Libya and in Germany; was a school librarian at the Oil Companies School in Libya; and retired as a medical librarian at OU Medical School. Bette was a passionate genealogist. She and Jim traveled the country researching family history. Bette and Jim raised and educated four children: Janet Elizabeth Huffman of Charlotte, NC; Susan Lynnell Ivey of Brookline, MA; James Alan Ivey of Palo Alto, CA; and Brian William Ivey of Chicago, IL. She is survived by Jim and their eight grandchildren, Lee, Mark, Matthew, Anne, Scott, Juliana, Daniela, Alexandra, Emilia; one great grandchild, Adaline; her Davis nieces and nephews of Tulsa, Jeff, Mark, Annie, Ludi, John and many great-nephews and nieces. Bette was a strong daughter of Oklahoma, a resilient and independent woman.