Bettie Marie Pannell

Bettie Marie Pannell of Bennett, Colorado passed away at Chelsea Place memory care assisted living facility on 6 September 2019, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Bettie was born in Vancouver, Washington on May 6, 1935. Her father died in an oil field accident in 1937. Her mother did not marry again until 1947. Bettie spent many of her early years with relatives while her mother worked. Bettie’s stepfather John Herman Anderson was a career Army man and Bettie got her first taste of what a military life would be like.

Bettie met her first husband, Richard (Dick) Metcalf while working at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, NM. They were married in 1957 and had two children David Bruce and Dacia Marie. Dick retired from the Air Force at Lowery Air Force Base and they moved close to Bennett, CO. In 1974, Dick had a massive heart attack and passed away.

Bettie quickly became a “country girl.” She took care of four horses, multiple dogs and cats and other animals along with two children on her own. She worked at the Buckley Air National Guard Base where she was destined to meet her second husband Carlton (Carl} Pannell. They would wed in August 1980 – again she became a member of an Air Force family.

After Carl retired from the Air Force (26 years) and Bettie retired from Civil Service (30 years) in 1992, they returned to Bennett. Over the next years She worked for the Buckley Air National Guard, Chrysler doing mountain testing of new cars, the Census bureau, H & R Block and as a volunteer Victims’ Advocate for the Adams county police department.

Bettie had many interests, she loved to travel, to fly airplanes, drive corvettes and collect stuffed animals, Hummel figurines, antiques and Indian art work.

She was very active. She loved camping, hiking, fishing, skiing, snowmobiling, bowling and her beloved Broncos Football team.

Bettie is survived by her children David (Bridget) Metcalf of Centreville, VA, and Dacia Hill (Scott) of Williamson, NY, her half-sister Susie Aagaard (Steve) of Santa Fe, NM, and Her husband Carl Pannell of Bennett, CO – granddaughters Second Lieutenant Courtney Hill and Amelia Metcalf – grandson Captain Corey Hill (Kelly), and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, George Alfred Ellis and Lillian Mae White, several aunts, uncles and cousins.

A service will be held at Horan and McConaty at 3101 S. Wadsworth Boulevard, Lakewood, 80227 on September 30, 2019 at 10:00 AM and internment will be held at Ft Logan National Cemetery, Denver, CO, at 11:30 on September 30, 2019 . In lieu of flowers please send a donation to Alzheimer’s Disease Research in Bettie’s name.

Memorial Service: September 30, 2019 10:00 am

Horan & McConaty - SW Denver/Lakewood
3101 S. Wadsworth Blvd.
Lakewood, CO 80227

Graveside Service: September 30, 2019 11:30 am

Fort Logan National Cemetery
3698 South Sheridan Boulevard
Denver, CO 80236
(303) 761-0117
https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/ftlogan.asp