Bettye Sue Knighton-Briggs

Bettye Sue Knighton-Briggs of Amarillo, TX died December 18, 2019.

Memorial service will be at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, December 28, 2019 at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 118 S. Van Buren St. Arrangements are by Schooler Funeral Home.

Bettye Sue was born January 21, 1940 in Amarillo, TX. She was a 1957 Carver High School graduate. She attended the University of Texas, Galveston, School of Radiology from 1959-1962 and received her certification as Radiological Technologist from John Sealy Hospital in Galveston, TX. She then attended St. Mary’s Hospital School of Laboratory Assistants in Galveston and received her certificate in April, 1965. Bettye was one of the two of the first graduates and the first black woman accepted into this program. She worked in the Galveston-Texas City area in the Radiology and Clinical Laboratory fields for approximately 20 years.

She then returned to Amarillo in 1979 and obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1981 and her Master of Science Degree in in Engineering Technology both from WTA&M. She worked for BWXT Pantex for 21 years in the Environmental Safety and Health Department, retiring in 2002. She was a member of the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church for over fifty years, renewing her membership after her return to Amarillo. Bettye was a member of the Deaconess and Woman’s Missionary Ministries and served on the North Amarillo Community Association Committee.

She is preceded in death by her father, Herbert Knighton; mother, Cloteal Knighton-Young; sister, Myrna Ann; and grandparents; Cirrilla Manning, Lillie Belle, Henry Knighton and Robert Cartwright; and her stepfather, Roy Young.

Bettye is survived by her son, Herbert Darrell (Rosana) Walker of San Francisco, CA; her companion and best friend, Bobbie (Bay) Alexander; two sisters, Carlotta (William) Randle of Amarillo, TX and Dr. Rosemary Harkins of Oklahoma City, OK; grandson, Jon Darrell Walker of San Jose, CA; niece, Andrali Jewett of Oklahoma City, OK; nephew, Richard Jewett of Amarillo, TX; and a host of friends and relatives.

Ms. Briggs suggests memorials be made to Harrington Cancer Center, 1500 Wallace Blvd., Amarillo, TX 79106.