Obituary for Betty Dupree Carpenter, Dallas County, Texas

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Submitted by: Eric Wood <>
        Date: 11 Mar 2014
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[7 Mar 2006 - Dallas Morning News]
Betty Dupree Carpenter    

CARPENTER, BETTY DUPREE 
Grace Personified 

Betty Dupree (Mrs. Ben H.) Carpenter passed away on Sunday morning, March 5,
surrounded by her loving children. She was 79 years old. Betty Carpenter was
first and always a lady. Born Elizabeth Ann Dupree on February 2, 1927 in
Dallas, Texas to Laura Gaston White Dupree and Leland Smith Dupree, she was a
loving daughter, wife, sister, mother, grandmother and friend. Her understated
elegance and warmth touched all who knew her. Affectionately named "Little
Betty" by her mother, she attended Bradfield Elementary School and graduated
with honors from Highland Park High School in 1944. She attended Mary Baldwin
College in Staunton, Virginia for one year before returning to Texas and
receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin in
1948. At the University of Texas, she met Ben Carpenter who had just returned
from World War II. For Ben Carpenter, it was love at first sight; they were
married on June 18, 1948, a happy union that would endure fifty-eight years,
produced five children, and ended this week with both their passing. A lover of
books and a voracious reader, Betty Carpenter returned to school to study under
Louise Cowen at the University of Dallas from which she received a Master's
Degree in Humanities. Betty Carpenter's service will be remembered as an officer
and board member of the Junior League of Dallas, the Dallas Woman's Club, the
Dallas Gardens Club, the Child Guidance Center of Dallas, the Irving Arts Board,
and the Irving Community Hospital. She also served as member of the Board of
Regents of Texas Woman's University in Denton Texas. Her giving will be
remembered by the many charitable donations Betty and her husband made
throughout her life. Active in the Presbyterian Church and a member first of the
Highland Park Presbyterian Church and a charter member of the Park Cities
Presbyterian Church, she and her husband donated land for the establishment of
two new Presbyterian Churches, and provided funds for the construction of the
Carpenter Chapel at the Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. Betty and Ben Carpenter
provided land for the establishment of the Irving Arts Center, which includes a
707-seat concert hall (Carpenter Performance Hall) and a 253-seat theater
(Dupree Theater). They also gave the land for Irving Community Hospital, and
property on which the Las Colinas Elementary School is located in Carrollton-
Farmers Branch School district. Gifts given by Betty and Ben Carpenter
established the Carpenter Family MBA Student Leadership Center and Carpenter
Family MBA Student Leadership Endowment at the University of Texas and the Ben
H. and Betty Dupree Carpenter Endowment for Cardiovascular Research at the
Heart, Lung & Vascular Clinical Center of Excellence at St. Paul Hospital of
Dallas. They also were generous contributors to the Capital Campaign at
Providence Christian School of Texas. Betty Carpenter was preceded in death by
her loving husband of 58 years, Ben. She is survived by her sister, Laura Jean
Holland of Dallas; five children: a son, John W. Carpenter III of Dallas; four
daughters, Laura Carpenter of Austin; Elizabeth Carpenter Frater of Dallas;
Barbara Carpenter Kendrick of Dallas, Ellen Carpenter Pace of Austin; and nine
grandchildren: Benjamin Carpenter II, Austin Carpenter, Bonner Carpenter, Ryan
Frater, Spencer Kendrick, Will Kendrick, Katie Pace, Annie Pace, and Virginia
Pace. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ben and Betty Carpenter
Memorial Fund for Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. A family gravesite service
will be on Tuesday morning in Corsicana, Texas. A memorial service concurrent
with that of her beloved husband, Ben, will be at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 7,
2006 at the Highland Park Presbyterian Church with Rev. Joseph F. Ryan and Rev.
Sherwood M. Strodel officiating. Dignity Memorial Sparkman Hillcrest 7405 W.
Northwest Hwy. Dallas (214) 363-5401