Betty Rathke

It is with broken hearts that we announce the passing of our mother Betty J. Rathke. She left us August 22nd, just five days after celebrating her 75th birthday. Her last breath was taken peacefully with her son and daughter by her side. Betty's life began in Pulaski, Tennessee in 1946. She was the first of seven children born to parents Alan and Mura Harwell. The family moved from the deep south to Toledo in the 1950s. Living in the north end, Betty attended Woodward High School. Her first job was a car hop at Frisch's Big Boy, an outside waitress delivering food to cars on roller skates. According to her, she never spilled an order! Betty's life changed forever when she made a random call into an evening radio program. The DJ connected her to another caller. At the opposite end of the line was a guy named Jim. He took her to Yum Yum's Hamburger on their first date. The happy couple married in 1964 and shared 36 wonderful years together. The stork eventually brought them 2 children: Steve was born in 1966 and Rochelle followed in 1967. She was a fun, caring and extremely loving mother. There was nothing she wouldn't do for her husband and kids: they were the loves of her life! As the kids grew, she was involved in every facet of their lives. Like all parents, she needed a timeout now and then and her outlet was bingo. Being the kind person she was, if she won bingo the night before, she would take her children out shopping the following day and buy them something. The Rathke’s moved from Peck St. to Alvison in the early 70s. They joined St. Catherine’s parish and the kids were enrolled at the grade school. It is here where Betty shined. At first, she began volunteering as a room mother for both children. Then she became a driver or chaperon for field trips. On pizza Fridays, she would work in the kitchen. If one of the kids had an athletic event, she was there. Betty never missed a part of her kids’ childhood whether it be big or small. While her young children were growing up, Betty started painting ceramic pieces as a hobby. Turns out she had a hidden skill and one day, she decided to make a doll. It turned out so good that dolls became her sole hobby. It's amazing to see the level of detail in one of her creations. Betty was also a fantastic cook and homemaker. Her lasagna and chicken paprikash were legendary! She enjoyed having guests over for holidays and family gatherings. Longtime friends Ron and Becky would come over for dinner and to play cards. The Rathke house was a fun place to be with lots of laughter and jokes. We still miss it terribly. Aside from her husband and kids, the biggest highlight in her life were her grandchildren. Rochelle blessed her with three little ones to love, nurture and pamper. She and Jim took them everywhere. Rarely was there a day where Nadeem, Najee, and Lexi did not see their Teta! It was such a joy for her to watch this fantastic trio grow up. She was so proud of their accomplishments and would brag to whomever was within earshot. The kids showed her the same love and affection, sitting on her lap and giving her plenty of hugs and kisses. In 2000, Jim and Betty separated and divorced. Eventually she moved into a cozy single level duplex. It is here that she made a very good friend in her neighbor Jan. The two would spend a lot of time together, sharing meals and conversation. Rochelle surprised Betty one day with a kitten. She was not a cat person at all, but Bella worked her way into Betty's heart. She spoiled her rotten! Throughout her entire life, Betty remained close to her siblings. She spoke with sisters Shirley and Charlotte daily. She was especially close to brothers Buddy and Danny, both of whom lived in Phoenix. Betty loved them dearly, talking with both of them almost every evening. Their passing left a huge void in her life. Betty began to experience mobility problems several years ago. Combined with an illness, it became obvious that she could no longer live on her own. She first moved to Kingston of Sylvania. It was a difficult transition for her. Being a very social person, she made friends quickly and accepting her new home. Betty was a bingo player and took the biweekly game seriously. She also enjoyed putting puzzles together with residents. On Fridays, she was a fixture at Happy Hour enjoying wine and snacks. Betty moved to Wolf Creek in 2018. Again she made many friends and could be seen driving, agonizingly slow, down the hallways on her motorized chair. She was an avid bingo player here as well. The Covid pandemic took a mental toll on Betty as she did not see family or friends for half a year. Over the past several months, her physical condition deteriorated as well. She never gave up, with her caregivers often joking "she was a cat with nine lives!" As a person grows older, you learn firsthand that life can be difficult. You begin to realize the sacrifices your parents made to give you the best life as a child. When you hear stories from others, you understand that many kids were not as fortunate, growing up not in the best of circumstances. Some only having one parent, others maybe in foster care. Betty and Jim were the kindest, most giving parents and grandparents any child could dream of having. Thank you for making us the adults we are today. Not a day will go by without you in our minds and hearts! Betty is survived by her son Steve (Renee), daughter Rochelle (Elias) Abou-Arraj, grandchildren Nadeem (Ashwini), Najee, and Alexis Abou-Arraj, brother Cliff (Tami) Harwell, several nieces and nephews and many dear friends. Betty is predeceased by her parents, ex-husband and good friend James Rathke, sisters Linda Harwell, Charlotte Romstadt and Shirley Garland, brothers Freeman (Bud) and Danny Harwell. The family has entrusted Cremation Society of Toledo with the arrangements for Betty. Services will be private. Memorials may be made to ProMedica Hospice. To leave a special message for Betty’s family, please post to: