Betty Sue McLean Spilman

Betty Sue McLean Spilman May 5th 1930- December 12th 2025

Betty Sue was born in 1930 in Cherryville, North Carolina and grew up in Belmont, North Carolina near Charlotte. She was the youngest of five siblings and lived on a small home farm where her father operated a sawmill. Betty Sue enjoyed a simple and happy country life that centered around the values of family, independence, and moderation.

Betty Sue attended Sacred Heart Junior College in Belmont, where she played basketball and was voted best athlete in her class. After Sacred Heart, she left Belmont to attend Appalachian State University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. Upon graduation, Betty Sue moved to Norfolk, Virginia to live with her oldest sister Anne and

brother-in-law Sam and began her career teaching third grade. She spent most of her twenties teaching and traveling on summer breaks with her friends to various cities on the east coast and abroad, where she enjoyed watching performing art and other cultural events and exhibits.

Betty Sue met her husband Landon at the Officer’s Club at U. S. Naval Station Norfolk where he was serving. They married in 1957 after Lan left the Navy and moved to Delaware County Pennsylvania to start their family. Aside from four years when the family lived in Mobile, Alabama for Lan’s job at Scott Paper Co., Betty Sue and Lan returned to Pennsylvania and raised their family in Chester County. Betty Sue embraced her role as a wife and mother and was a quiet and steady presence, giving unconditional love and support as she and Lan raised their children together. In a letter he wrote titled “Ten things I love about Betty Sue”, her husband Lan described her as humble and unassuming, levelheaded, positive, supportive and hard working. He valued, appreciated and respected her role in the family

Betty Sue was a sports fan and enjoyed watching football at all levels as well as college basketball - especially the ACC. She was a great supporter of her three children's interests, hobbies, sports, and life goals. She also took care and interest in her children’s friends and treated everyone the same - with respect and dignity. Betty Sue was a member of First Presbyterian Church in West Chester where she taught Sunday school for many years and supported Lan’s service to the church.

Aside from caring for her family, Betty Sue’s passion was horticulture. Having grown up on a farm, Betty Sue continued the tradition of growing, preparing and preserving a wide variety of food for her family. She also designed and cultivated beautiful and expansive flower beds - which led to her love of flower arranging. Betty Sue was quite talented and won ribbons several times at the Philadelphia Flower Show as well as at local competitions. She was a member and past president of Providence Garden Club for 54 years and she shared her talent as a willing teacher and mentor.

Betty Sue was also an outstanding cook - and embraced the challenge of creating healthy dishes with fresh ingredients that also tasted good. However, she believed in moderation, so she still made plenty of cheesy grits and country casseroles during the holidays. She passed her love of cooking and gardening on to many of her children and grandchildren. In her retired years, Betty Sue continued to garden and enjoyed entertaining friends and traveling with Lan. For the past 16 years she and Lan lived at White Horse Village retirement community in Newtown Square where she was a member of the Harvesters, and Octofair committees.

Betty Sue is predeceased by her devoted husband of 64 years, Landon; her parents Erwin and Bertha; and her siblings Joe, Anne, Tom, and Nancy. She is survived by her loving children Laura Gilmore (Steve), Elizabeth (Betsy), Bender (Kane), and John (Marie). Betty Sue truly loved her children’s spouses, and she supported her children’s marriages when needed, offering advice only when asked. Betty Sue was a loving grandmother to eight grandchildren: Elise and Scott (Laura and Steve), John and Ali (Betsy and Kane), and Jake, Sam, Carter and Gigi (Marie and John). As a grandmother she was never critical and was always encouraging and supportive. She also leaves her 6 great grandchildren who gave her much joy and entertainment in her last 5 years: Jack and Frannie (Carolyn and Jake), Hayes, Harrison and Connor (Elise and Bill), and John (Ellie and Scott).

It was Betty Sue’s wish to have a private graveside gathering of immediate family in the Spring. 

Arrangements by DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, Inc. West Chester 610-696-1181. www.DellaFH.com