Betty (Pyle) Beck-Blattner Obituary (1934 - 2023)

Betty (Pyle) Beck-Blattner, age 88, passed away peacefully at Manchester Commons in Erie on Saturday, February 11. Born in Markleysburg, PA, to the Reverend Lincoln and Esther Pyle, she spent her youth helping her family to found or develop churches from Prince Edward Island and Maine to California. After moving back to PA, her family founded the Church of God on Main Street in Northeast, where she was actively involved for decades. She graduated from East High School in 1952 and later worked at Erie Insurance as a junior underwriter. There, she met her adoring husband, David Beck, whom she called her "hero." They married in 1965. Together with their five children, they enjoyed their faithful church life, sailing, the Erie Philharmonic, the Chautauqua Institute, and travel, especially to New England, abroad, and to be with family. Supportive of their children's education and interests, she and Dave created a loving home full of laughter. Betty eventually became one of the first women agents for Erie Insurance and had an office in her home. She was also certified as a tax preparer and was the treasurer of a women's investment club. A long-time member of the Billie Jean King and Pennbriar Athletic Clubs, she loved her tennis league. Praying, reading Scripture on her back porch, and listening to Gospel quartet music fed her deep spiritual faith. Betty lovingly hosted frequent, large family gatherings on Evans Rd. for her children who had moved far and wide. At holidays, she invited those who felt excluded by illness or other circumstances to join her table's laughter and wonderful food. She was never happier than when surrounded by her five children, twelve grandchildren, and one great grandchild. She was our matriarch. Her strength of character, graciousness, humor, resilience, beauty, and compassion were rare gifts that encouraged all who knew her. Betty's life was joyful service: on the board for decades at the Community of Caring, Erie, devotedly active in her Erie First Assembly church and on the finance board there, as a hospice volunteer, and as a volunteer poll worker in Millcreek. While on a church trip in 1999 to help build the Hausa Bible school in Maradi, Niger, Betty noted the needs of primary grades children and, with the Ligon family there, helped found the Ecole Evangelique school and continued to support it. Today it has over 1850 students, has won awards for the highest quality grade school education in Niger, and provides a range of services. After the death of her husband of 47 years, she then found companionship in her 80s and married the Reverend David Blattner in 2014. They spent several years as snowbirds to FL and enjoyed walking on the boardwalk and their second home in Vero Beach until his death in 2021. She was also predeceased by her beloved son, Burt Edward Humberston; her infant daughter, Marie Beck; her brother, Doug Pyle; her sister-in-law, Ruth Beck Bean, and her brother-in-law, John Daniel. She is survived by her children: Bonnie Chernicky (Chuck) of Erie, Sherie Abbey (Jay) of Miami, FL, Amy Beck Danusiar (Chris) of Winfield, IL, Jennifer Beck (Steve Ferruci) of Mansfield, CT, and daughter-in-law Connie (Humberston) Brown of Venice, FL. Also surviving are her grandchildren: Nate, Ben (Gretchen), Josh, Ellen, and Noah Humberston, Julia Wilder (Randy), Erek Chernicky (JoAnn), Anna Beck-Arias (Gabriel), Madeleine May-Danusiar (Phillip), Isabella Danusiar (Mark), Elsabet and Zachariah Beck Ferruci; and by great-grandchild Penelope Wilder. She also leaves behind dearly loved siblings Margie McElroy, Joanna Daniel, Richard Pyle (Marla), and sister-in-law Linda Pyle. Many thanks go to her wonderful friend and caregiver, Cindy Scalise, and to the many attentive healthcare workers that cared for Betty during the last few months. Her children and grandchildren will be forever grateful for Betty's countless sacrifices and lifelong dedication to their health, happiness, and well-being. Family and friends are warmly invited to call at the Dusckas-Taylor Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 5151 Buffalo Rd. (at Hannon Rd. in Harborcreek) on Friday, February 17, 2023, from 4 until 7 PM and are further invited to attend a funeral service there on Saturday at 1 PM. Betty will be privately laid to rest at Erie Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Community of Caring, 245 East 8th St.Erie, PA 16503, or to Dan and Earlene Ligon at agwm.org/en/find-a-missionary/.