Betty Latham Kingery

Betty Latham Kingery, 90, of Prince George, Virginia, went to be with the Lord on January 16, 2024. Born in Petersburg, Virginia to Clarice Barger Latham and James E. Latham, she was one of four children. She attended Petersburg High School where she played the clarinet in the High School band. She married the love of her life, Irvin Jack Kingery (Popeye) on October 1, 1949, and left Prince George for a few years while Jack was an active-duty military member. They returned to Prince George where they lived the remainder of their lives. Betty worked at Fort Lee and Allied Chemicals until she began her successful and long career as the General Registrar in Prince George County. She was known there as a great mentor and great friend and had the nickname "The Candy Lady". While working at the close-knit Prince George Government Complex, she was valued by the Prince George Police Department as a grandmother figure due to her caring and encouraging nature. Betty also founded and operated an embroidery and cross stitch shop in Prince George called Lori Dee Crafts and was known for the wedding cakes she made for local brides. Her hobbies included daily journaling of her life, playing the piano, reading, and writing poetry. Her well written and thoughtful poetry was mostly about her family and thoughts of heaven. Betty valued her relationship with God and lived out her faith in such a way that everyone who knew her, knew she was a faithful Christian and Prayer Warrior. Her lady-like demeanor, gentle nature and hospitality were traits that she passed along to her family and will be an important part of her legacy. She spent most of her adult life as a member of Rivers Edge Bible Church where she and Jack often were seen holding hands in the pews while dressed in coordinating colors.
She will be deeply missed by all those she is leaving behind; including her beloved daughter, Diane Kingery Burton, the "bright star" in her life; her granddaughter, Lori Dingas Cofer and her husband Vernon; her grandsons, Ralph G. Burton (Jody) and his wife Kelly, Stanley Christopher Burton (Chris)and his wife Stephanie; as well as her only living sibling, Albert Eugene Latham (Chuck) and his wife, Angela; sixteen great-grandchildren; one great-great grandson; and many nieces, nephews and dear friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Irvin Jack Kingery (Popeye); her parents; a baby daughter, Jacque Adeline Kingery; her baby brother, Kenneth Irving Latham; her sister, Mildred Latham Cheely; her brother, James Lathan (Arnold); grandson, Tony Burton; and great-grandson, Jonathan Burton.
Services will be held at the Hopewell Chapel of J.T. Morriss & Son Funeral Home on Saturday, January 27, 2024. A visitation will be held at 10:00 a.m. with a Celebration of Life at 11:00 a.m. Internment will follow at Southlawn Memorial Park in Petersburg. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donation be made to Rivers Edge Bible Church, 11311 James River Drive, North Prince George, Virginia 23860 or to the Alzheimer's Association, 4600 Cox Rd #130, Glen Allen, VA 23060.The family extends its heartfelt appreciation to those who visited her and cared for her with so much love especially her dear sweet friend, Dee Smith.