Betty Sizemore King
June 3, 1931 to July 2, 2026

Charlotte, North Carolina — Betty Sizemore King, a beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away peacefully on Thursday, July 2, 2026. Her hospitality, dry wit, and deep love for family and friends will be missed by all whose lives she touched.

Born June 3, 1931, in Bear Creek, NC, Betty was the first daughter of Florence Brewer and Walter Floyd Sizemore. She learned cooking and household management from her Grandmother Sizemore at a young age and took a special interest in her younger siblings—10 and 17 years her junior.

Betty graduated from Bonlee High School in 1949. Her yearbook quote beautifully foreshadowed the life of devotion she would lead: "Life will not be useless if lived for service to God and man." Those words proved profoundly true. She began her lifelong service to God by being born into the Tysons Creek church family, where she served as the church pianist while still in her teens.

A decade later, her life of service expanded to include a deep devotion to a very special man: Charles Conaway King. The matchmaking efforts of her cousin’s husband sparked a whirlwind romance that culminated in their marriage on November 22, 1959, at the same church where she had once played the piano. From that day forward, she was his constant companion in all things concerning God and Man.

The newlyweds worked and saved to build their ranch-style home on Greenhill Drive. When their daughter, Dorlisa Dawn, was born, Betty chose to leave her work as a beautician to focus entirely on her family as a homemaker. She loved spending time outdoors tending her butterfly bushes, cultivating a vegetable garden, hanging laundry to dry in the sunshine, and even helping Charles mow the lawn. Inside, she famously served three home-cooked meals each day. Anyone at her table was treated to a full spread of meat, two vegetables, fresh bread, a homemade dessert, and sweet iced tea. As a mother, Betty was fully present in Dorlisa’s world: volunteering as a class mom, fostering a love of music and piano, and serving as the ultimate shopping buddy for school holiday trips to Greensboro’s malls.

Charles remained the center of Betty’s universe throughout their nearly 64-year marriage. She supported his career as a professor and corporate executive and later walked alongside him in his avocation as a cattleman, checking cows and mending fences. As his health declined, her fierce devotion as a caregiver took over. Her intense focus on his needs masked her own Alzheimer’s diagnosis until her early 90s.

This caregiving journey peaked with their move to Lake Wylie Assisted Living. When Charles passed away in October 2023, the grief nearly overwhelmed Betty, and she spent much of the first year waking each day to relive the fresh pain of his loss. Eventually, her mind drifted back to the simpler years of her youth, and she found a gentle, lasting peace. Her resilient spirit returned, and she endeared herself to her caregivers, who adored her radiant smile and trademark dry wit—which she often shared with a sharp comment just when they thought she was fast asleep.

Betty recently celebrated her milestone 95th birthday at Lake Wylie—and again at The Brownstone at Park Crossing in Charlotte. The transition to this residential home, which accommodates six residents, provided her with the additional care and support she needed to enjoy her final weeks in comfort and peace, thanks to an incredibly dedicated staff.

Left to cherish Betty’s life are her daughter, Dorlisa Flur; her son-in-law, Peter; and her granddaughter, Arella. She is survived by her sister, Nancy Williamson, and her husband; her sister-in-law, Belinda Sizemore; four Sizemore nieces and nephews and their families; three sisters-in-law—Anne Clark, Doris King, and Ann King; and nine King nieces and nephews and their families. In addition to her husband and parents, Betty was preceded in death by her two brothers, James Everette Sizemore and Ronny Floyd Sizemore.

On behalf of her mother, Dorlisa extends special thanks to the staff at The Brownstone at Park Crossing and VIA Health Partners for their loving care during her mother’s final weeks. She also thanks the staff at Lake Wylie Assisted Living and the caregivers from Agape Care and Visiting Angels for serving as her mother’s SC family over the past four years.

A service to celebrate Betty’s life will be held at Tysons Creek Baptist Church in Bear Creek, NC, on Saturday, July 18, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., led by Reverend Bob Wachs. A reception will follow in the Family Life Center. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home of Siler City, NC, is serving the family and provided Betty with her angel wings home from Charlotte—so she could rejoin Charles.

Memorials may be made to Tysons Creek Baptist Church, located at 10891 Siler City-Glendon Road, Bear Creek, NC 27207.