Betty May Moore-Bryant, 81, died in this life and went to be with her Lord on February 26, 2024.

A celebration of her life will be held at 12:30 on Saturday, March 2, at the Regent Pavilion, 1200 Viridian Park Lane, Bldg C, Arlington, TX 76005.

Betty May Toland was born March 20, 1942, the second child of Clancy Lindsey and Zola Blanch Somers Toland in Spencer, IA. Betty was raised on the family farm, a Century Farm, near Ruthven, IA. In her youth, Betty was active in Girl Scouts, 4-H, at First Methodist Church in the choir, as a soloist, in MYF, and at the Methodist Camp at Lake Okoboji. Betty attended school at Ruthven Consolidated School participating in FHA, Band, Chorus, and Speech, graduating in 1960.

While attending Drake University Betty met Lionel Coy Moore from St. Louis, MO. They were married on August 15, 1964, in Ruthven and made their home in Wayne, NE where Lionel was an Associate Professor of Physics and Physical Science at Wayne State College. To that union were born a son, Todd Oland Moore, on December 3, 1970, and a daughter, Marlo May Moore, on January 10, 1973.

Betty continued her college education at Wayne State graduating Magna Cum Laude with her BSEd in 1967 and with her MSEd in Counseling in 1970. She assumed teaching and counseling duties at Pender Public Schools from 1969-1974.

The Moores moved to Houston, TX in 1974 for Lionel to pursue his Doctorate in Optometry at the University of Houston. Betty became Director of the Day School and Registrar of Mother's Day Out at Disciples United Methodist Church while they lived in Houston. Following Lionel's graduation and Betty's encounter with cancer in 1978, they moved to Waco, TX. Betty worked with Lionel in his Optometric practice, the Austin Avenue Eye Clinic. In January of 1988, Betty joined Waco ISD as a teacher of theatre and later worked as a counselor at G. W. Carver Academy until she retired in 2003.

Throughout her life Betty was active in the Methodist church; teaching Children's Church and Sunday School, serving as President of the United Methodist Women, in the choir, and directing church drama of skits and mime including the production of the Living Last Supper. She was involved in Scouting, Camp Fire, Bible Study Fellowship in Houston and Waco, was Chairman of the Waco Christian Women's Club, PTA, and served as President of the Waco City Council of the PTA.

Travel was always important, ranging from Mt. McKinney, Alaska to the Andes Mountains of Ecuador and from Russia to China. It was always a life goal to serve in missions, a goal fulfilled as Betty and Lionel went on Vision Mission trips to give sight and a vision of God's Grace.

In 1998 following the marriage of Todd to Angela Yen and Marlo to Curtis Collins, Lionel was diagnosed with leukemia, CLL. The time they had was lived to the fullest. One venture left a memory that would never be forgotten when Lionel and Betty had engine failure in their private plane and crashed into a tree-inundated ranch. Both survived, although Betty had some injuries. Lionel died on February 3, 2002.

June 22, 2003, Betty married a longtime friend, "Al" Thomas Alton Bryant, Sr. in Waco where they made their home. The joy of Grandparenting became their new life work.

Betty, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, is survived by her children: Drs. Todd and Angela Moore, Marlo Collins, grandchildren Coy and Caden Collins and their father Curtis Collins, Drew and Luke Moore, her brother Jim Toland and wife Donna, nieces, nephews, and treasured extended family and friends.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents, Lionel Moore, and Al Bryant.

Instead of flowers, the family encourages donations to Renew Church in Waco (https://renewchurchwaco.org/) Central Bible Church in Ft. Worth (https://wearecentral.org/) or the anti-trafficking organization Uncaged (https://www.uncaged.org/)

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