Betty Jeanne Ellison Candler

Betty Jeanne Candler of Decatur, age 93, died peacefully after a short illness, on August 17, 2020. BJ, as she was fondly known by all, was the only child of William Louie Ellison and Daisy Clark Ellison of Meridian, Mississippi, and was born on August 3, 1927. In 1939, at age 12, she traveled alone by train, to Black Mountain, NC, where she spent two months at Camp Montreat. This was the beginning of a lifelong love of Montreat, traveling there almost every summer until 2019. In 1945, BJ was graduated from Meridian High School where she was sports editor of the school newspaper, and in September of that year, enrolled in Agnes Scott College. At Agnes Scott, BJ continued her excellence in academics, and was graduated in 1949 with a double major in Math and Bible. While at school, BJ met her future husband, George Scott Candler, Jr. (Scotty), at a Decatur Presbyterian cookout. They were married in 1950 and settled in Decatur. Along with rearing three children, BJ was active in the Decatur Presbyterian Church Choir, Presbyterian Women, DeKalb Junior Service League, “The Book Club” , a bridge club, golf and tennis teams at Atlanta Athletic Club and Druid Hills Golf Club. For seven years, BJ served as a trustee of the Mountain Retreat Association and Montreat Anderson College.
In the late 1970s, Scotty was diagnosed with a neurological disease (PSP) and for fifteen years BJ was a devoted caretaker, never leaving his side and making every effort to give him a normal life. After Scotty died in 1994, BJ moved her residence to their home on Sea Island. BJ was active in many organizations on St. Simons, including the St. Simons Presbyterian Church, where she counted the weekly offertory money for years. She also served on the Board of Visitors of Davidson College during this time. In 2018, BJ moved back to Decatur to be near family.
BJ will be remembered for her philanthropic generosity, her love of reading, her love of sports, her favorite color purple and the annual family reunions at Lake Tiak-O’Khata where her Decatur family got to know the “Mississippi cousins.”
BJ was preceded in death by her parents, William Louie Ellison and Daisy Clark Ellison; her husband, Scott Candler, Jr.; and her daughter, Rebekah Byrd Candler. She is survived by her half-brother, William Louie Ellison, Jr. of Louisville, KY; her half-sister, Patricia Ann Wheaton of Keystone, SD; son, George Scott Candler, III (Karna); son, Clark Ellison Candler (Terri); grandchildren: George Scott Candler IV (Lauren), Clark Ellison Candler II (Allison), Laura Candler Hampton (Dan), Charles Harrison Candler, Blake Atkinson Candler (Mallika); and great-grandsons Stephen Scott Candler, Clark Ellison Candler III, and Harrison Wales Candler.
Due to COVID, the family will have a private graveside service.
Memorials may be sent to:
Decatur Presbyterian Church at 205 Sycamore St., Decatur, GA 30030
St. Simons Presbyterian Church at 205 Kings Way, St. Simons, GA 31522
Montreat Conference Center (see below for link to their site)