daughter of John Holly and Marguerite Brown Bailey Norris
wife of Harry Lee Arnest, Jr.
From the Kinsale Foundation:
Betty Arnest, 99, died peacefully at her home in Kinsale, surrounded by loved ones, on November 13, 2022. She was known far and wide for her beauty and hospitality, and was admired for the steadfast courage and grace she showed in facing numerous challenges throughout her life.
Betty Banks Norris Arnest was born on September 24, 1923, at Plainview, a house built by her grandfather on a farm on the outskirts of Kinsale, to John Holly Norris and Marguerite Brown Bailey Norris, where she joined two brothers, John Holly Norris, Jr., and Walter Biscoe Norris. Ultimately, though, she was raised by her aunt and uncle, Jane Norris Parks and Walter D. Parks, across the river in the heart of Kinsale. There she was doted on by Jane and Walter, and raised alongside their son, Norris. She enjoyed playing dress up, walking down the hill to the Floating Theater whenever it was in town, and visiting neighbors any time they were baking something sweet. After graduating from Cople High School in June 1941, she went on to Marjorie Webster Junior College in D.C., where she majored in Speech and appeared in plays.
On June 24, 1944, she married Harry Lee Arnest, Jr., a Hague native and Naval Academy graduate, in a candlelit service at Kinsale Methodist Church. They had met only a handful of times prior to the wedding, but they hit it off quickly and she promised to wait for him while he served as the gunnery officer on the USS North Carolina. The day after their wedding, Lee bought a 1938 4-door Cadillac convertible which he and Betty drove to Love Field, outside Dallas. They would later head back east for submarine school in New London, Ct. Betty used to laughingly say, "We drove out in a Cadillac, and came back in a Ford." But at least it was still a convertible, and red.
Early in 1946 they moved to Key West, where Lee had submarine duty. On June 9, 1946, she gave birth to their first child, Harry Lee Arnest III. Three weeks later she was admitted to the Naval Hospital in Key West with flu-like symptoms which turned out to be polio. After a two-month hospital stay, she was transferred to Warm Springs, Ga., for another seven months of therapy. When she was finally released, they returned to Kinsale, where they would later welcome a daughter, Jane Tyler Arnest, on April 1, 1953. Betty never regained the full use of her legs, but she succeeded in living a busy, active, happy life.
Many people have said that during Betty's decades of disability, one quickly forgot about the props and her physical limitations whenever in her company. She was fun to talk to, and had a radiant presence that everyone immediately noticed and responded to. Always stylish, making the most of every social occasion and special gathering, she loved jewelry and clothes, and had a knack for putting outfits together. Wherever she went, people commented on her attire.
Lee engaged in a number of business ventures in Kinsale, from helping run the local general store, to starting the Kinsale Marina by the bridge, to operating an antiques shop and building a real estate brokerage firm. Betty assisted him in these various enterprises, adding her distinct flair.
Betty and Lee were renowned for entertaining. They opened their home on Sloop Point for community events, family parties, an annual 4th of July party, and countless good times. Betty's warm and fun-loving nature was appreciated by a wide range of friends of all ages. She was open-minded and inclusive, and went out of her way to invite newcomers to any gatherings she was planning.
Betty was a member of Cople Parish, The Kinsale Foundation, and The Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Society. She served on the boards of the Northern Neck Mental Health Association, The Community Concert Association, and The Kinsale Foundation.
Betty and Lee's children predeceased them. Their son died of a heart attack in 1988 at the age of 41; he had been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect when he was around 6, and underwent major heart surgery at the age of 20. Their daughter died of MS in 2004 at the age of 50, after more than 20 years of battling the disease. Betty's two brothers and the first cousin with whom she was raised likewise predeceased them. Lee lived until 2009, and together he and Betty helped raise their son's three children, Will, Annie, and Lee. Besides her grandchildren, Betty is survived by her great-granddaughter, Stasia Munasifi Arnest, by her daughter-in-law, Alice P. Moore, by her grandson Lee's wife, Kaela, and by several nieces and nephews.
Betty's spirit is being carried on by her grandchildren: Will is devoted to his daughter, Stasia, passing on the attention and pure joy Betty always shared with him; Annie is lovingly restoring the marina in Kinsale that her grandparents started, turning it into a vibrant community center once again, and tapping into all the hosting skills her grandmother taught her; and Lee has inherited her quick smile, easy laugh, and gentle nature. As Betty was drifting off to gospel music in her bedroom during her final week, Stasia was playing in her jewelry box and dancing around in her gold heels.
The family offers special thanks to Allen Elledge, Barbara Jean Johnson, Marlene Veney, Rosemary Wilson, Hazel Ball, and Dawn Wyszynski for their affectionate, attentive care to Betty in recent years. The family also remembers with gratitude Ruth Stewart Carter, Winnie Wilson, and Mary Kelly, whose assistance to Betty helped her to thrive and whose presence at Sloop Point helped make it such a haven for family and friends for so many years.
Betty's funeral service will be held on Saturday, December 10, 2022, at 11 a.m. at Yeocomico Episcopal Church, 1233 Old Yeocomico Road, Kinsale, Virginia 22488, with burial to follow in the church cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Cople Parish Churches, P. O. Box 249, Kinsale, VA 22488, or to The Kinsale Foundation, P. O. Box 307, Kinsale, VA 22488
wife of Harry Lee Arnest, Jr.
From the Kinsale Foundation:
Betty Arnest, 99, died peacefully at her home in Kinsale, surrounded by loved ones, on November 13, 2022. She was known far and wide for her beauty and hospitality, and was admired for the steadfast courage and grace she showed in facing numerous challenges throughout her life.
Betty Banks Norris Arnest was born on September 24, 1923, at Plainview, a house built by her grandfather on a farm on the outskirts of Kinsale, to John Holly Norris and Marguerite Brown Bailey Norris, where she joined two brothers, John Holly Norris, Jr., and Walter Biscoe Norris. Ultimately, though, she was raised by her aunt and uncle, Jane Norris Parks and Walter D. Parks, across the river in the heart of Kinsale. There she was doted on by Jane and Walter, and raised alongside their son, Norris. She enjoyed playing dress up, walking down the hill to the Floating Theater whenever it was in town, and visiting neighbors any time they were baking something sweet. After graduating from Cople High School in June 1941, she went on to Marjorie Webster Junior College in D.C., where she majored in Speech and appeared in plays.
On June 24, 1944, she married Harry Lee Arnest, Jr., a Hague native and Naval Academy graduate, in a candlelit service at Kinsale Methodist Church. They had met only a handful of times prior to the wedding, but they hit it off quickly and she promised to wait for him while he served as the gunnery officer on the USS North Carolina. The day after their wedding, Lee bought a 1938 4-door Cadillac convertible which he and Betty drove to Love Field, outside Dallas. They would later head back east for submarine school in New London, Ct. Betty used to laughingly say, "We drove out in a Cadillac, and came back in a Ford." But at least it was still a convertible, and red.
Early in 1946 they moved to Key West, where Lee had submarine duty. On June 9, 1946, she gave birth to their first child, Harry Lee Arnest III. Three weeks later she was admitted to the Naval Hospital in Key West with flu-like symptoms which turned out to be polio. After a two-month hospital stay, she was transferred to Warm Springs, Ga., for another seven months of therapy. When she was finally released, they returned to Kinsale, where they would later welcome a daughter, Jane Tyler Arnest, on April 1, 1953. Betty never regained the full use of her legs, but she succeeded in living a busy, active, happy life.
Many people have said that during Betty's decades of disability, one quickly forgot about the props and her physical limitations whenever in her company. She was fun to talk to, and had a radiant presence that everyone immediately noticed and responded to. Always stylish, making the most of every social occasion and special gathering, she loved jewelry and clothes, and had a knack for putting outfits together. Wherever she went, people commented on her attire.
Lee engaged in a number of business ventures in Kinsale, from helping run the local general store, to starting the Kinsale Marina by the bridge, to operating an antiques shop and building a real estate brokerage firm. Betty assisted him in these various enterprises, adding her distinct flair.
Betty and Lee were renowned for entertaining. They opened their home on Sloop Point for community events, family parties, an annual 4th of July party, and countless good times. Betty's warm and fun-loving nature was appreciated by a wide range of friends of all ages. She was open-minded and inclusive, and went out of her way to invite newcomers to any gatherings she was planning.
Betty was a member of Cople Parish, The Kinsale Foundation, and The Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Society. She served on the boards of the Northern Neck Mental Health Association, The Community Concert Association, and The Kinsale Foundation.
Betty and Lee's children predeceased them. Their son died of a heart attack in 1988 at the age of 41; he had been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect when he was around 6, and underwent major heart surgery at the age of 20. Their daughter died of MS in 2004 at the age of 50, after more than 20 years of battling the disease. Betty's two brothers and the first cousin with whom she was raised likewise predeceased them. Lee lived until 2009, and together he and Betty helped raise their son's three children, Will, Annie, and Lee. Besides her grandchildren, Betty is survived by her great-granddaughter, Stasia Munasifi Arnest, by her daughter-in-law, Alice P. Moore, by her grandson Lee's wife, Kaela, and by several nieces and nephews.
Betty's spirit is being carried on by her grandchildren: Will is devoted to his daughter, Stasia, passing on the attention and pure joy Betty always shared with him; Annie is lovingly restoring the marina in Kinsale that her grandparents started, turning it into a vibrant community center once again, and tapping into all the hosting skills her grandmother taught her; and Lee has inherited her quick smile, easy laugh, and gentle nature. As Betty was drifting off to gospel music in her bedroom during her final week, Stasia was playing in her jewelry box and dancing around in her gold heels.
The family offers special thanks to Allen Elledge, Barbara Jean Johnson, Marlene Veney, Rosemary Wilson, Hazel Ball, and Dawn Wyszynski for their affectionate, attentive care to Betty in recent years. The family also remembers with gratitude Ruth Stewart Carter, Winnie Wilson, and Mary Kelly, whose assistance to Betty helped her to thrive and whose presence at Sloop Point helped make it such a haven for family and friends for so many years.
Betty's funeral service will be held on Saturday, December 10, 2022, at 11 a.m. at Yeocomico Episcopal Church, 1233 Old Yeocomico Road, Kinsale, Virginia 22488, with burial to follow in the church cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Cople Parish Churches, P. O. Box 249, Kinsale, VA 22488, or to The Kinsale Foundation, P. O. Box 307, Kinsale, VA 22488
daughter of John Holly and Marguerite Brown Bailey Norris
wife of Harry Lee Arnest, Jr.
From the Kinsale Foundation:
Betty Arnest, 99, died peacefully at her home in Kinsale, surrounded by loved ones, on November 13, 2022. She was known far and wide for her beauty and hospitality, and was admired for the steadfast courage and grace she showed in facing numerous challenges throughout her life.
Betty Banks Norris Arnest was born on September 24, 1923, at Plainview, a house built by her grandfather on a farm on the outskirts of Kinsale, to John Holly Norris and Marguerite Brown Bailey Norris, where she joined two brothers, John Holly Norris, Jr., and Walter Biscoe Norris. Ultimately, though, she was raised by her aunt and uncle, Jane Norris Parks and Walter D. Parks, across the river in the heart of Kinsale. There she was doted on by Jane and Walter, and raised alongside their son, Norris. She enjoyed playing dress up, walking down the hill to the Floating Theater whenever it was in town, and visiting neighbors any time they were baking something sweet. After graduating from Cople High School in June 1941, she went on to Marjorie Webster Junior College in D.C., where she majored in Speech and appeared in plays.
On June 24, 1944, she married Harry Lee Arnest, Jr., a Hague native and Naval Academy graduate, in a candlelit service at Kinsale Methodist Church. They had met only a handful of times prior to the wedding, but they hit it off quickly and she promised to wait for him while he served as the gunnery officer on the USS North Carolina. The day after their wedding, Lee bought a 1938 4-door Cadillac convertible which he and Betty drove to Love Field, outside Dallas. They would later head back east for submarine school in New London, Ct. Betty used to laughingly say, "We drove out in a Cadillac, and came back in a Ford." But at least it was still a convertible, and red.
Early in 1946 they moved to Key West, where Lee had submarine duty. On June 9, 1946, she gave birth to their first child, Harry Lee Arnest III. Three weeks later she was admitted to the Naval Hospital in Key West with flu-like symptoms which turned out to be polio. After a two-month hospital stay, she was transferred to Warm Springs, Ga., for another seven months of therapy. When she was finally released, they returned to Kinsale, where they would later welcome a daughter, Jane Tyler Arnest, on April 1, 1953. Betty never regained the full use of her legs, but she succeeded in living a busy, active, happy life.
Many people have said that during Betty's decades of disability, one quickly forgot about the props and her physical limitations whenever in her company. She was fun to talk to, and had a radiant presence that everyone immediately noticed and responded to. Always stylish, making the most of every social occasion and special gathering, she loved jewelry and clothes, and had a knack for putting outfits together. Wherever she went, people commented on her attire.
Lee engaged in a number of business ventures in Kinsale, from helping run the local general store, to starting the Kinsale Marina by the bridge, to operating an antiques shop and building a real estate brokerage firm. Betty assisted him in these various enterprises, adding her distinct flair.
Betty and Lee were renowned for entertaining. They opened their home on Sloop Point for community events, family parties, an annual 4th of July party, and countless good times. Betty's warm and fun-loving nature was appreciated by a wide range of friends of all ages. She was open-minded and inclusive, and went out of her way to invite newcomers to any gatherings she was planning.
Betty was a member of Cople Parish, The Kinsale Foundation, and The Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Society. She served on the boards of the Northern Neck Mental Health Association, The Community Concert Association, and The Kinsale Foundation.
Betty and Lee's children predeceased them. Their son died of a heart attack in 1988 at the age of 41; he had been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect when he was around 6, and underwent major heart surgery at the age of 20. Their daughter died of MS in 2004 at the age of 50, after more than 20 years of battling the disease. Betty's two brothers and the first cousin with whom she was raised likewise predeceased them. Lee lived until 2009, and together he and Betty helped raise their son's three children, Will, Annie, and Lee. Besides her grandchildren, Betty is survived by her great-granddaughter, Stasia Munasifi Arnest, by her daughter-in-law, Alice P. Moore, by her grandson Lee's wife, Kaela, and by several nieces and nephews.
Betty's spirit is being carried on by her grandchildren: Will is devoted to his daughter, Stasia, passing on the attention and pure joy Betty always shared with him; Annie is lovingly restoring the marina in Kinsale that her grandparents started, turning it into a vibrant community center once again, and tapping into all the hosting skills her grandmother taught her; and Lee has inherited her quick smile, easy laugh, and gentle nature. As Betty was drifting off to gospel music in her bedroom during her final week, Stasia was playing in her jewelry box and dancing around in her gold heels.
The family offers special thanks to Allen Elledge, Barbara Jean Johnson, Marlene Veney, Rosemary Wilson, Hazel Ball, and Dawn Wyszynski for their affectionate, attentive care to Betty in recent years. The family also remembers with gratitude Ruth Stewart Carter, Winnie Wilson, and Mary Kelly, whose assistance to Betty helped her to thrive and whose presence at Sloop Point helped make it such a haven for family and friends for so many years.
Betty's funeral service will be held on Saturday, December 10, 2022, at 11 a.m. at Yeocomico Episcopal Church, 1233 Old Yeocomico Road, Kinsale, Virginia 22488, with burial to follow in the church cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Cople Parish Churches, P. O. Box 249, Kinsale, VA 22488, or to The Kinsale Foundation, P. O. Box 307, Kinsale, VA 22488
wife of Harry Lee Arnest, Jr.
From the Kinsale Foundation:
Betty Arnest, 99, died peacefully at her home in Kinsale, surrounded by loved ones, on November 13, 2022. She was known far and wide for her beauty and hospitality, and was admired for the steadfast courage and grace she showed in facing numerous challenges throughout her life.
Betty Banks Norris Arnest was born on September 24, 1923, at Plainview, a house built by her grandfather on a farm on the outskirts of Kinsale, to John Holly Norris and Marguerite Brown Bailey Norris, where she joined two brothers, John Holly Norris, Jr., and Walter Biscoe Norris. Ultimately, though, she was raised by her aunt and uncle, Jane Norris Parks and Walter D. Parks, across the river in the heart of Kinsale. There she was doted on by Jane and Walter, and raised alongside their son, Norris. She enjoyed playing dress up, walking down the hill to the Floating Theater whenever it was in town, and visiting neighbors any time they were baking something sweet. After graduating from Cople High School in June 1941, she went on to Marjorie Webster Junior College in D.C., where she majored in Speech and appeared in plays.
On June 24, 1944, she married Harry Lee Arnest, Jr., a Hague native and Naval Academy graduate, in a candlelit service at Kinsale Methodist Church. They had met only a handful of times prior to the wedding, but they hit it off quickly and she promised to wait for him while he served as the gunnery officer on the USS North Carolina. The day after their wedding, Lee bought a 1938 4-door Cadillac convertible which he and Betty drove to Love Field, outside Dallas. They would later head back east for submarine school in New London, Ct. Betty used to laughingly say, "We drove out in a Cadillac, and came back in a Ford." But at least it was still a convertible, and red.
Early in 1946 they moved to Key West, where Lee had submarine duty. On June 9, 1946, she gave birth to their first child, Harry Lee Arnest III. Three weeks later she was admitted to the Naval Hospital in Key West with flu-like symptoms which turned out to be polio. After a two-month hospital stay, she was transferred to Warm Springs, Ga., for another seven months of therapy. When she was finally released, they returned to Kinsale, where they would later welcome a daughter, Jane Tyler Arnest, on April 1, 1953. Betty never regained the full use of her legs, but she succeeded in living a busy, active, happy life.
Many people have said that during Betty's decades of disability, one quickly forgot about the props and her physical limitations whenever in her company. She was fun to talk to, and had a radiant presence that everyone immediately noticed and responded to. Always stylish, making the most of every social occasion and special gathering, she loved jewelry and clothes, and had a knack for putting outfits together. Wherever she went, people commented on her attire.
Lee engaged in a number of business ventures in Kinsale, from helping run the local general store, to starting the Kinsale Marina by the bridge, to operating an antiques shop and building a real estate brokerage firm. Betty assisted him in these various enterprises, adding her distinct flair.
Betty and Lee were renowned for entertaining. They opened their home on Sloop Point for community events, family parties, an annual 4th of July party, and countless good times. Betty's warm and fun-loving nature was appreciated by a wide range of friends of all ages. She was open-minded and inclusive, and went out of her way to invite newcomers to any gatherings she was planning.
Betty was a member of Cople Parish, The Kinsale Foundation, and The Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Society. She served on the boards of the Northern Neck Mental Health Association, The Community Concert Association, and The Kinsale Foundation.
Betty and Lee's children predeceased them. Their son died of a heart attack in 1988 at the age of 41; he had been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect when he was around 6, and underwent major heart surgery at the age of 20. Their daughter died of MS in 2004 at the age of 50, after more than 20 years of battling the disease. Betty's two brothers and the first cousin with whom she was raised likewise predeceased them. Lee lived until 2009, and together he and Betty helped raise their son's three children, Will, Annie, and Lee. Besides her grandchildren, Betty is survived by her great-granddaughter, Stasia Munasifi Arnest, by her daughter-in-law, Alice P. Moore, by her grandson Lee's wife, Kaela, and by several nieces and nephews.
Betty's spirit is being carried on by her grandchildren: Will is devoted to his daughter, Stasia, passing on the attention and pure joy Betty always shared with him; Annie is lovingly restoring the marina in Kinsale that her grandparents started, turning it into a vibrant community center once again, and tapping into all the hosting skills her grandmother taught her; and Lee has inherited her quick smile, easy laugh, and gentle nature. As Betty was drifting off to gospel music in her bedroom during her final week, Stasia was playing in her jewelry box and dancing around in her gold heels.
The family offers special thanks to Allen Elledge, Barbara Jean Johnson, Marlene Veney, Rosemary Wilson, Hazel Ball, and Dawn Wyszynski for their affectionate, attentive care to Betty in recent years. The family also remembers with gratitude Ruth Stewart Carter, Winnie Wilson, and Mary Kelly, whose assistance to Betty helped her to thrive and whose presence at Sloop Point helped make it such a haven for family and friends for so many years.
Betty's funeral service will be held on Saturday, December 10, 2022, at 11 a.m. at Yeocomico Episcopal Church, 1233 Old Yeocomico Road, Kinsale, Virginia 22488, with burial to follow in the church cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Cople Parish Churches, P. O. Box 249, Kinsale, VA 22488, or to The Kinsale Foundation, P. O. Box 307, Kinsale, VA 22488
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