Betty Linton Hagood, of Vero Beach, passed away on Easter Sunday, March 27, 2016.
She was born in Tacoma Park, Md. in 1942, the daughter of Ulle and Margaret Linton. Her early years were spent in Washington, D.C. where she graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School and attended Marjorie Webster Junior College with a major in merchandising before working for the patent law firm of her father and grandfather. She enjoyed dancing and weekends at the beach.
Hagood and her family were members of St. Columba’s Episcopal Church in Washington when she met John Hagood, who was serving there as Seminarian Assistant.
They were married in September of 1962 and she spent the next 53 years supporting him in his ministry and raising three wonderful children, Dr. Johnson Hagood (Dana), Cynthia Andersen (Bruce) and Tommy Hagood (Erin). Grandchildren include Jessica (MIT), Matthew (UGA), Alex (UNC), Bayne, Allison and Kaitlyn. She is also survived by brothers John Linton of Potomac, Md., Bill Linton of Adelphi, Md., and Robert Linton of Boone, N.C. She was predeceased by a brother, Edward.
Tutored by her own children, Hagood received a degree in Psychology Cum Laude from St. Leo’s University, Ft. Lee, Va. and a Certificate in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling from the American Institute of Family Relations in Hollywood, Calif. She was by nature a supportive, loving and insightful counselor to her husband, children and anyone in need.
She instilled confidence in her three children which has in turn been passed on to her grandchildren. Adventuresome and always interested in houses, she became a real estate broker on Emerald Isle, N.C. and opened her own firm.
A gadget person, Hagood was intensely interested in computer-aided sewing and the software which supported machine embroidery. She was a licensed instructor in three areas of Martha Pullen Sewing, using Viking, Pfaff, Bernina and Babylock machines.
Beginning in 1998, she fought the good fight against metastatic breast cancer with all her might, beating the odds time after time while encouraging others to do the same. Indeed she was a miracle.
Upon retirement she and John followed Johnson and his family to Vero Beach where, with Tommy as architect, they built their beautiful dream house where they lived the good life before settling in at Indian River Estates where she and John went out to dinner every evening and loved watching grandson Bayne play football and soccer for Vero Beach High School.
Services will be held at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church on Saturday, April 16, at 11 a.m. with interment at Trinity Episcopal Church at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers friends are asked to make contributions to the Children’s Music Program at St. Augustine’s or the Youth Program at Trinity.
Arrangements are under the direction of Strunk Funeral Home and Crematory, Vero Beach.
A guest book is available at www.strunkfuneralhome.com.
