Elizabeth "Betty" Higgins
Glouster,Ohio
1/4/1934-7/13/2022

Elizabeth “Betty” Higgins, 88, of Glouster, died Wednesday morning, July 13, 2022 at The Laurels of Athens.

Born, Elizabeth Annette Balash on January 4, 1934 in Natrona Heights, PA, she was the daughter of the late Francis and Anna Balash.

She graduated from the nursing school at Allegheny Health. After becoming a Registered Nurse, she joined the Air Force in 1956 and had the privilege of serving on several bases, including as a lieutenant at Goose Bay Air Force Base in Labrador, Canada where she met and married George Higgins.  She also worked as a nurse in a number of hospitals and settings, including The Ohio State School of Dentistry, Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton, Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis and Athens Mental Hospital where she worked for over 15 years until retiring in 1994. She was a life-long nurse and was passionate about sharing her experiences with future nurses.

After the Air Force, Betty and George resided in Circleville, OH, Dayton, OH, St. Louis, MO before moving to Glouster in 1967 where they owned and operated Higgins Lake Carry Out until 1978 after she and George divorced.

Betty loved her kids, “Rusty and Annie” more than anything and enjoyed visiting with them and their families.  She also enjoyed a number of hobbies over the years - she was an avid bowler in a ladies league for many years, often showing off her skills bowling a number of 200+ games!  She enjoyed her yard, gardening and in her senior years enjoyed chair volleyball with other ladies at the Glouster Community Center.   She was an enthusiastic football fan - her two favorite teams that she rarely missed watching were the Pittsburgh Steelers and The Ohio State University Buckeyes.   Betty resided at The Laurels in Athens for the past six years where she made many new friends that she loved like her second family.

Betty is survived by a son, Russell Higgins of Ft. Wayne, IN; a daughter, Ann Higgins Corba (David) of Troy, MI; four grandchildren, Scott Corba, Sarah Corba, Katie Kipp, Phoebe Higgins;  six great grandchildren, a sister Patricia Amrhein, two brothers Francis and John Balash.

Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother Richard Balash and her companion of 27 years, John Paulisin (January 10, 1922 - December 2, 2009).

Services will be held at 2pm at the Morrison Funeral Chapel in Glouster, OH, on Monday, July 18, 2022.  Friends may call at the funeral home on Monday from 12 p.m. until the time of service.  Burial will be in Hilltop Cemetery, Millfield where military graveside services will be conducted by the United States Air Force and the Combined Color Guard Unit.  

Contributions in Betty’s memory can be made to Chix-4-A-Cure, 8314 St. Rt. 685, Glouster, Ohio 45732 or Trimble Textbook and Supplies Foundation, C/O Sandy Gyure, PO Box 187 Glouster, Ohio 45732.  A message of comfort may be sent to the family at www.morrisonfc.com.

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