Betty Lee Baker Dimiceli
Published 12:12 pm Thursday, December 28, 2017
Betty Lee Baker Dimiceli passed away Thursday, December 21, 2017 at the Woodville Health and Rehabilitation Center, Woodville, Texas, surrounded by loving family members and care-givers. Family was the center of Betty’s long and full life of almost 97 years. This dedication to family arises from her family origins which included religious devotees, pioneers and farmers who settled in the Midwest and fought to preserve the Union. She was a seventh-generation direct descendent of Quakers, Joseph and Mary Baker, who sailed from Shropshire, County, England, with William Penn and arrived near what later became Philadelphia, on October 24, 1682. Betty was born December 31, 1 920to parents Malcolm Baker and Claudia Griffin Bakerin Sheridan, Indiana, a town near the family farm of her Grandfather Arthur Baker. Her experiences with dedication to family began with her extended family in Indiana during the Great Depression. During World War II she spent time away from her Indiana family serving her country in the Women’s Army Air Corps as a radio operator.
Her dedication to family achieved a new dimension with her marriage to Army Major Vito “Vic” Dimiceli. While Vic was deployed to the Pacific, she spent time in Franklin, Louisiana, getting to know Vic’s family, and upon return to Indiana, suffered the tragic loss of her first-born at childbirth. After World War II she and Vic settled in Port Arthur, Texas and went on to have six sons and one daughter. She was a pivotal influence on the early development of her children who later had successful careers in aerospace, safety engineering, accounting, dentistry, academia and real estate financing. Her dedication to family shinned brightest when one son was born with a urinary tract problem which led to infant surgery and near fatal peritonitis. Her dedication over the next 18 years helped this son through kidney failure, dialysis and a kidney transplant and was crucial to his survival into adulthood and his determination to live life to the fullest. She continued her loving, caring support and encouragement with her grandchildren and their families during their many visits with Memaw.
She was pre-deceased by her brother, Griffin Baker and sister, Mary Baker Santiago. Betty was the last surviving member of her generation of Bakers. She was also pre-deceased by her beloved husband of 59 years, Vito (Vic) Dimiceli and her sons Thomas Dimiceli and Professor Vincent Dimiceli.
Betty is survived by the families of her sons and daughters-in-law, Emanuel Dimiceli and his wife Sue of Big Sky, Montana; Malcolm Dimiceli and his wife Ida of Griffin, Georgia; Judy Dimiceli of The Woodlands, Texas; Dr. Lawrence Dimiceli and his wife Shirin of San Antonio, Texas; Linda Dimiceli of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Charles Dimiceli and his wife Laura of Round Rock, Texas. She is also survived by the family of her daughter Claudia and her husband Dr. Jeffrey Price, who both provided sustained, loving care to Betty in her waning years and to whom the extended family including 18 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren will be forever grateful.
Visitation and a celebration of Betty’s life by her family will be on Friday, December 29, 2017 from 12:00 PM till 1:00 PM at Clayton Thompson Funeral Home in Groves. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1:30 PM Friday at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Port Neches with Rev. Shane Baxter, serving as celebrant. Burial will follow in Greenlawn Memorial Park under the direction of Clayton Thompson.
Special thanks to nurses and staff of Woodville Health and Rehab for their excellent care of Betty.
In lieu of flowers, family request donations may be made to Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (her great grandson is affected by this disease), St. Elizabeth Catholic Church or charity of your choice in memory of Betty.