Obituary: Betty Jo Abel

Betty Jo Abel, a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, passed away peacefully on June 19, 2026, at 79 years of age at the Juneau Pioneer Home.

Betty Jo Abel

She was born on May 14, 1947, in Olympia, Washington, to parents Roy and Tessie Strange, and attended grade school in Tumwater, Washington. In 1961, the family moved to Juneau and Betty quickly made it her forever home. She attended Juneau-Douglas High School, was on the drill team and graduated in 1965.

Betty started her work career after high school with the State of Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Over the course of 30 years, she worked for every Fish and Game department and retired in 1998 as administrative manager with a 30-year pin and a plaque stating, “You are a legend.” At the time of her retirement, her coworkers and colleagues gifted her and Jim a golf trip to Sedona, Arizona, kicking off what would become years of travel adventures.

From many driving trips across the country to an African wildlife safari in Kenya, Jim and Betty logged Alaska Air miles visiting National Parks, historic locations, and mid-winter trips to the family condo in Maui where she loved everything from early morning walks to beautiful sunsets. They loved impromptu trips like visiting Nova Scotia, taking a sternwheeler down the Mississippi, and flying to East Coast cities to see Broadway shows and fall foliage color changes. Reminiscent of when, in 1980, they quit their jobs and bought a VW camper and spent three months driving to Maine and circling the United States back to Seattle.

In 2024, due to onset dementia and other medical issues, travel to unfamiliar places became difficult for Betty and the traveling ended. They then settled for daily driving trips year-round in Juneau.

While family was her priority, she also pitched softball with the Jovany’s women’s team, tap danced with Janice Holst’s School of Dance alongside her children, loved walking many of the Juneau trails and socialized with the Retired Women of Fish & Game. For the past decade or more, Jim and Betty were often found enjoying morning coffee and a fire at the Auke Rec cabins.

She is survived by her husband and best friend of 54 years, Jim Abel; her children, Theresa Winther (from previous marriage to John Winther), Rachel Hetler, and Russell Abel; her grandchildren, Stella, Oliver, Nelson, Norman, Tommy and Kailey; sister Val Lind of Juneau, and brother Don Strange of Olympia, Washington, and numerous extended family members and lifelong friends. She was preceded in death by her parents Roy and Tessie Strange and her brother, Mike Strange.

Betty contended with dementia for several years with her trademark grit and stoicism. She signed up for the Juneau Pioneer Home in 2014 and in early 2026 she moved in. She loved the people there and the care she received. She contracted aspiration pneumonia in June and was unable to overcome it, and passed away early in the morning on June 19, 2026.

The family extends their gratitude to local medical providers who allowed Betty to remain close to home and comfortable in her declining health. Thank you, Dr. Jenna Schmidt and the Valley Medical staff, Bartlett Regional Hospital, and the devoted staff at the Juneau Pioneer Home. A special thanks to Nani who also cared for Betty’s father 19 years prior during his years at the Pioneer Home.

Betty will be interred in a double niche at the columbarium at the Shrine of Saint Teresa. Per her wishes, there will be no formal service. The family can be contacted at P.O. Box 21815, Juneau, AK 99802.

Betty is truly missed. Her family and friends will continue to live by her motto “Do the best you can every day.”