Betty Feather Obituary

Betty Lou Feather

Betty (Werner) Feather died at Hospice of the Piedmont Saturday, January 25, 2025. Betty and her husband Milton were residents of River Landing at Sandy Ridge a continuing care retirement community near Greensboro, North Carolina. Betty, a teacher and researcher in the field of textiles, was born in 1934 and grew up on a dairy farm in Fort Seneca. She graduated from Heidelberg College in Tiffin in 1956 with a bachelor's degree in textiles, a master's degree in textiles from Purdue University, and a doctoral degree from University of Missouri. After receiving her doctoral degree, she served as a state extension specialist in clothing and textiles at the University of Missouri. In 1990, she accepted a position as chair of the Department of Clothing and Textiles at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). She retired from that position in 1999.

She is survived by her husband, Milton, of River Landing; a son, Erik, and his companion, Deirdre Lester of Columbia, Missouri; a son, Peter, and his wife, Catherine; two grandsons, Alexander and Thomas, all of Vienna, Virginia; and a sister, Patricia Rayburn of Lafayette, Indiana.

During her career, she was the recipient of a number of awards for excellence in teaching as well as research, included among these are the Outstanding State Extension Specialist Award from the University of Missouri, a Fellow of the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) and in 1992, she served as its president. In 1995, she was selected as the national Bobbin Educator of the Year. She retired from the University of North Carolina as a Professor Emerita in 1999.