Betty Lynn Draper Roebuck, 69, of Ashburn, VA, died Friday, December 16, 2016. Her death was caused by complications from pneumonia.

She was born to the late Joseph Collins Sr. and Hazel Dorn Chappell Draper of Rich Square, NC on October 23, 1947, in Rocky Mount, Nash Co., NC. Her paternal grandparents were the late Joseph Lebron and Margaret Jeanetta Barnes Draper of Rich Square, NC. Her maternal grandparents were the late Ernest Thomas and Blannie Bell Edwards Chappell of Rich Square, NC.

Betty attended school in Rich Square, NC up through the 11th grade. Because of a county consolidation, she was graduated from Northampton County High School in 1965. She attended Mississippi State College for Women (MSCW), now Mississippi University for Women (MUW), then Mississippi State University. However, before she could get a BS degree, she obtained a Mrs. degree. She married George Allen “Steve” Roebuck, the son of the late George Travis “Steve” and Mary Kathryn “Kakie” Crosthwait Roebuck of Houston, MS, on August 21, 1966 in Rich Square, NC.

Betty “enjoyed” the excitements and the frustrations of 11 moves in her first eight years of marriage as her husband worked as a Civil Servant for the U.S. Air Force and served in the U.S. Army. Among her moves were Houston, MS; Fort Walton Beach, FL (twice); Fort Dix, NJ; Rich Square, NC; and Sterling, VA. Betty worked part time (child care, Learning Lab at Northern Virginia Community College, and as a reservationist at Piedmont Airlines) around the schedule of taking care of her three daughters until her oldest daughter started to college. She then found her dream job. It was about a 15- to 20-minute commute from her home in Sterling, VA through well-kept residential areas to her job in the Accounts Payable department at the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) in Herndon, VA. ALPA was the largest airline pilot union in the world. She worked there for over 15 years before retiring on October 31, 2003. The next year, she and her husband moved to Starkville, MS, to follow the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Betty was working at ALPA on 9/11 (September 11, 2001). Many years before, she’d proven her inner strength by having a baby while her husband was in Vietnam. After that she never thought that she’d have to go through the worry of “is my husband coming home alive” again, but she never lost the faith even though it was six long, grueling hours after the terrorists had crashed the plane into the Pentagon before she found out that her husband had made it out of The Building alive.

Betty had been a cheerleader in high school. She became a cheerleader again as well as a chauffeur for three daughters as they participated in various activities, especially softball, as they grew up. Later, she became a cheerleader for her grandchildren in everything that they did. In her spare time, she especially enjoyed line dancing, a hobby that she took into retirement as a teacher of beginner line dancing. She also enjoyed gardening and scrapbooking. She was a member of First United Methodist Church in Starkville, MS, a member of the Newcomers Club in Starkville, MS and a member of the Green Thumb Garden Club in Starkville, MS. After her husband’s death in 2013, she decided to move back to Northern Virginia (Ashburn) where two daughters and three young grandchildren live.

Betty is survived by her three daughters, Janet Lynn (John Thomas “JT” Sr.) Williamson of Madison, MS, Julie Ann (Michael Nicholas “Mike”) Koplets of Ashburn, VA, and Joy Carol (Brian Vance) Bowman of Ashburn, VA; five grandchildren, JT Jr. and Emily Lynn Williamson of Madison, MS, and Ainsley Lane and Finn Preston Bowman of Ashburn, VA; Michael Tyler Koplets of Ashburn, VA; and one stepgrandchild, Patricia Lynn “Tricia” Koplets.

She was preceded in death by her husband, George Allen “Steve” Roebuck, who died on December 11, 2013.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, December 22, 2016 at Welch Funeral Home in Starkville, MS from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM.

The celebration of life will be held on Thursday, December 22, 2016 at Welch Funeral Home in Starkville, MS at 11:15 AM with Giles Lindley officiating. Burial will follow at Houston Cemetery, Houston, MS. Welch Funeral Home of Starkville, MS is in charge of the arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation may be made to The MSU Foundation, P.O. Box 6149, Mississippi State, MS 39762.