Bethanyanne A. Austin

Bethanyanne (Adams) Austin was brought into this world on April 25, 1938. Her parents Anne (Kirsch) Adams and George William Adams owned a pastry shop where she developed her cake decorating skills, work ethic, and business acumen. She shared stories of how she helped with the long lines at the bakery during World War II. Her parents and her brother Larry Adams pre-dated her in death and then welcomed her into the next world on July 17, 2024.

Born and raised in Portsmouth, Ohio, Bethanyanne was a rambunctious child; she called herself a tomboy. She always believed that she would live alone, so went to and graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, to support herself. There, she found love and married Raymond Edward Austin. Together, they had six children Thomas Edward Austin (63), Raymond Allan Austin (62), Elizabeth Anne (Austin) Reed (60), John William Austin (59), Linda Suzanne (Austin) Jones (55), and Judith Renee’ (Austin) Dam (54). After their divorce in 1975, Bethanyanne became the matriarch and single parent of six spirited children (ages 4 to 13).

The loving family she leaves behind includes her brother John Adams, his wife Debbie and their children Danny and Jimmy. Bethanyanne’s oldest child, Tom married Angela and together they have four children: Sara, Seth, Samantha, and Sawyer. Allan had one child, Raymond. Raymond married Leigh-Danielle and together they have her only great-grandchildren: Jourdan, Alexander, Jessica, and Brandon. Her oldest daughter, Liz, married Todd Reed, together they have two children RaDonna and Austin Reed. John, often known as smiley, married his high school sweetheart Tracey and together they have three children, Tyler, Emily, and Nicole. Linda, in a memorable pirate-themed wedding, married Chris Jones. Judy married Russ Dam and became the mother to Alex Dam. Over the years, Judy and Russ fostered 29 children and adopted Robert, Will, Thomas, and Liam Dam. What a legacy!

Through the years, her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and anyone who got to know Bethanyanne had the opportunity to learn from her patience, intelligence, honesty, integrity, resilience, work ethic, acceptance, positive outlook, and independence. Despite the challenges she faced over the years, each of these strengths never wavered. Bethanyanne was the safety net. She offered a safe space for all of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, be it a few hours or a few months they could go to her and she provided a sense of belonging, security, and comfort.

Bethanyanne was an accountant who worked at various accounting firms and businesses in Columbus and Portsmouth, Ohio. While in Portsmouth, she served as an adjunct professor of Accounting at Shawnee State University. She later worked for the State of Ohio, primarily with the Adjutant General’s Department—State Finance Office for the Ohio Army National Guard. She was awarded the Ohio Distinguished Service Medal in February 2005. While working at the state, she began her advocacy by becoming a leader in her union.

She was a member of the choir and bell choir at Parkview Methodist Church (Westgate), Trinity Methodist Church (Portsmouth), and Grove City UMC—Purple Door Church. A special thank you to the Purple Door Church for the sense of community and their card ministry. While flowers and tree plantings in her honor are welcome, we would appreciate donations to Grove City UMC to pay forward for the spirit of hope they continue to provide to her.

In addition to her activities in choir, she was a proud member of the Worthington Chorus and other live stage performing arts with roles in Guys and Dolls and the Music Man. She loved crocheting. So many people benefitted from this love with scarves, hats, and blankets. She decorated beautiful and memorable cakes for family weddings and birthdays. During Easter, she made hundreds of personalized, decorated cake eggs, rabbits, and lambs to benefit youth groups. She enjoyed swimming, aerobics, and yoga and spent much time at the YMCA and the Evans Senior Center. Then there was her love of reading, and especially Harry Potter. When she visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, and we celebrated her 80th birthday with a Harry Potter theme, her face lit up with the wonder and awe of a child!

In her final years, she was blessed to be a part of Meadow Grove as her final home and resting place. There, surrounded by her favorite things, including a shrine to Harry Potter, she found new friends, loved to play bingo, and was a voice for other residents who couldn’t speak up for themselves. She helped new residents by welcoming them and sharing stories.