Betty Jo Williams Frye

Betty Jo Williams Frye, 90, of Marietta, Georgia, passed away peacefully at home on February 21, 2026, surrounded by her loved ones.

Born in Cowpens, South Carolina, on September 5, 1935, Betty Jo—known affectionately as BJ—grew up in Shelby, North Carolina. She attended Shelby High School and later graduated from Gardner-Webb College. Throughout her life, she treasured the deep and lasting friendships she formed during those years, remaining closely connected to her high school and college friends.

BJ had an extraordinary gift for creating beauty with her hands. She crafted quilts, curtains, cross‑stitch pieces, needlepoint, and knitted sweaters—each one made with care, patience, and love. Nothing delighted her more than making something from scratch, and her home and family were wrapped in the warmth of her creations. She was also an avid reader, known for finishing a book a day and happily losing herself in stories of every kind.

If you visited BJ, you never left hungry. She loved cooking for the people she cared about, often preparing her delicious lasagna or a comforting pot of vegetable soup. No meal was complete without one of her famous desserts—a coconut cake, strawberry cake, or her unforgettable Mississippi mud pie. Feeding others was one of her love languages, and she shared it generously.

After retiring at age 65, BJ devoted much of her time to helping raise her granddaughter, Ashley—a role she embraced with deep love, pride, and joy.

She is survived by her sister, Peggy Ledford of Shelby, North Carolina; her son, Chris Frye of Marietta, Georgia; her daughter, Amy Frye of Heber, Utah; and her granddaughter, Ashley Frye of Nashville, Tennessee.

BJ was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence Herbert “Bunny” Frye; her parents, Guy and Vivian Williams; and her brothers, Bob and Tom Williams.

Services for BJ will be held at a later date at:

Cecil M. Burton Funeral Home

106 Cherryville Road, Shelby, NC 28150