Betty Burch Richards passed away peacefully at home surrounded by dear friends on Friday July 29, 2022. Betty was born in Shelbyville, Tennessee, home of walking horse country, to Sarah Cortner Burch and Dr. James N. Burch, the town doctor. She made lifelong friends in Tennessee before moving to Phoenix in her teens, where she developed a deep love and appreciation for the flora and fauna of the southwestern desert and the richness of its native peoples and their cultures. Betty attended the University of Arizona where she met her husband, Walt Richards, obtained her bachelor's and master's degrees in education, and was a proud member of the Zeta Beta chapter of the Chi Omega sorority. Betty taught throughout the Tucson Unified School District for over 35 years. She started her career at Ochoa Elementary School, moving to Erikson Elementary School and later Carson Middle School before ending her teaching career at Safford Engineering/Technology Magnet Middle School, positively impacting the lives of countless children and collecting many close friends along the way. In retirement, Betty rekindled her love of golf, playing regularly with the Dell Uhrich Women's Golf Association and the Dorado Swingers, and traveled the world to visit friends and see exciting new places. Her quick wit and great sense of humor kept her friends laughing, and her genuine warmth and radiant smile instantly lit up a room. She was a truly unique and wonderful woman with a beautiful soul and will be sorely missed by her many friends. Betty was preceded in death by her parents and husband and is survived by her sister Ann Buckmaster (Bill) and her dear friends Jeanne Pemberton and Michaele Ann Melton. Betty's ashes will be interred in Hazel Cemetery in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Betty's name to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, Youth on Their Own, the Public Broadcasting Service, Habitat for Humanity, or the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum. Arrangements by Hudgel's.
