Mrs. Betty Lue Gibbs

Betty Lue Alford’s life journey began on February 19th, 1936. She was born to the late Olin and Viola Alford in Georgetown, SC. She was the oldest of six siblings. She spent her early education years in the Georgetown County school district. Betty’s spiritual foundations were rooted in the Greater St. Stephen AME church in Georgetown; The same church her ancestors attended for generations. At the tender age of 20, Betty left South Carolina and headed north. She settled in Baltimore, Maryland and began her professional life at the City Baltimore Hospital. She spent the next ten plus years as a Health Aide, caring diligently for her patients. She worked hard to make a better life for herself. In 1967, Betty felt the winds of change stirring. She moved to New Jersey to join her sister, Willie Mae. Her career path changed, too. Betty began working for a company named Electro Plastic in Port Newark. She stayed with that company for several years. For all her success, something was still missing, until she met the love of her life Robert B. Gibbs. They married and began to grow their life together, working hard to make a solid foundation for the family they wanted. All their hard work paid off on February 7th, 1980, when they purchased their first home. 32 Park Place, Irvington, NJ was a home filled with love, laughter, good meals and entertainment. Every Friday you could find Betty sitting down with a plate of fish, creamed corn, white rice, vegetarian beans and a slice of white bread. Her Friday meal was not complete without an ice-cold Pepsi. Betty loved and believed in the Lord. Every Sunday she took her family to her church home, Good Neighbor Baptist Church, where she enjoyed watching her husband as Pastor. At church she was one of the Kitchen Mother’s. She was famous for her collard greens, string beans, mac n’ cheese, potato salad, sweet potato pie, coconut pineapple upside down cake and banana pudding. And let’s not forget Mama’s biscuits! She was a responsible church mother and was never late for a Sunday service, while still doing press and curls for her girls and getting dinner ready on Saturday night that it would be ready after church on Sunday. Betty loved her home in Irvington and soon she and her beloved Robert moved their church home to Fellowship Baptist Church. There she once again became a Kitchen Mother as well as a member of the Usher Board. Betty had a true love for taking care of children and providing room and board for those in need. And lets not forget her hobby of playing her pick-it and going to the casino, or as she called it, the casina. As Betty’s health began to change, her daughter Amirah stepped in and became her full-time caregiver. She and her husband decided to relocate to Atlanta, where Betty could be Amirah’s focus. With a village surrounding her and supporting her, Betty felt like a queen. Betty was a bossy lady. If it wasn’t done her way, it was a problem. She would sit in her chair and direct you on how to make her famous recipes. She also brought some of the old family traditions to the GA home with her. When she could no longer attend church, she would tune in to hear the Good Word from Paster Jimmy Swagger and Joel Osteen. She also loved ordering from her favorite catalog, Stone Berry, and talking on the phone with her family and close girlfriends. Betty Lue Gibbs was called home to be with her Lord and Savior on July 8th, 2023. She went peacefully as her daughters, son and granddaughter stood by her side for the last time. A true Matriarch of her family, Betty Lue leaves to cherish her fond memories: Her daughters, Barbara Alford, Gwinda Jones, Margarite McGlothlin, Vanessa Amirah Harden, Denice Gibbs and Adrian Davis; Special granddaughter Fatimah Nelson; Bonus daughter Hakimah Shariff; Sons Sherman Yusef Winston and Andre Gibbs; Son-in-law Amin Harden; Her loving siblings, Olin Alford Jr, Harold Alford, Vienna McNeil and Hazel Jackson. She also leaves 18 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, 8 great great grandchildren as well as a host of niece’s nephews and cousins that she shared special relationships with. Betty was preceded in death by her parents Olin Alford, Sr. and Viola Alford; Her loving husband Robert B. Gibbs; Her sister Gwendolyn Huntley and her son, Jonathan B. Gibbs.

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Mrs. Betty Lue Gibbs

February 19, 1936 - July 8, 2023