Article by Gwen Jones, Department of Family Services
(Posted 2024 August)
Betty Graves is a charismatic and joyful person, bringing a smile to the face of everyone she meets. After raising three children and a long, satisfying career as a special education teacher, the 86-year-old is spending her retirement years giving back, engaging with her community, trying new things, and doing what she loves.
Betty Graves was born in 1938 in Bluefield, WV, to William and Hallie Crews, the eighth of 10 children. Bluefield was a small community. Growing up, Graves recalls never needing to ride a bus to school because her schools were all within walking distance of her home. She was even able to walk to class while attending Bluefield State College. After all the years and places she’s lived, Bluefield still holds a special place in Graves’ heart.
While attending college, Graves got married and started her family. Her daughter, Debra, was born in 1959, followed by her son, George, in 1961. That same year, Graves graduated from college and the family moved to Leesburg, VA, where she began her teaching career. Graves’ youngest child, Michael, was born in 1963.
Graves’ husband was in the military, so the family moved often, requiring Graves to find a new teaching position with each move. She has taught in Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Washington, D.C., Maryland and Hawaii. In 1976, the family moved to Fairfax County, and Graves began teaching at Bryant High School.
Graves taught for Fairfax County Public Schools for over 25 years, teaching at Bryant and later at West Potomac High School. Graves specialized in special education, primarily teaching Physical Education and Science to her students. She enjoyed teaching, saying, “My favorite part of teaching was of course the students. I treated them as if they were my own.” She made a point of remembering and celebrating her students’ birthdays and went out of her way to make each student feel comfortable in her classroom. She worked hard to teach her students and recalls one year when she was gratified to learn that her special education students’ science and biology Standard of Learning test scores were equal to those of the general student body. Helping her students extended beyond the classroom. She assisted students, including her own children, find after-school and weekend jobs at businesses up and down Route 1.
After a 40-year teaching career, Graves retired in 2001. While she continued to serve as a substitute teacher, her retirement allowed her to spend more of her time giving back to her community. She credits the Girl Scouts for her desire to serve, saying “I was a Girl Scout, and we were taught to help if you could.” For over 20 years, Graves served as an Election Officer in the Mount Vernon precinct. She also spent her time volunteering with the Head Start program at Gum Springs Community Center, reading with the children. Ten years ago, she joined the AmVets National Ladies Auxiliary, a volunteer organization dedicated to serving veterans and their community.
In 2003, Graves attended the Ms. Senior Virginia pageant with her neighbor and was impressed by the variety of pageant contestants. Her neighbor introduced her to the pageant coordinator, Pinky O’Neal, who called Graves a “cutie” and encouraged her to enter the competition. Two years later, Graves competed in the 2005 Ms. Senior Virginia Pageant and won most beautiful gown and the talent competition for her recitation of “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou. Eleven years later, in 2016, she competed again. This time she was first runner-up and won Miss Congeniality and the talent competition for reciting Maya Angelou’s “Phenomenal Woman.” Both times she participated in the pageant, she had fun and felt grateful for the opportunity to compete.
Choosing poetry recitation as her pageant talent made perfect sense to those who know Graves since reading is one of her favorite activities. She reads a variety of genres, but one of her favorites is mysteries, especially Agatha Christie. Recently, she has been reading a collection of biographies of women, historical to present day. In addition to providing entertainment, she believes reading is beneficial in other ways. “Reading helps your vocabulary and lets you talk to anybody,” she says.
Another of Graves’ favorite pursuits is travel, especially cruises. She took her first cruise to the Bahamas in 1988 and has gone on eight total, including an Alaskan cruise with her sister and a group from her college. To celebrate her retirement, she treated herself to a trip to England and France. She recalls that the English Channel was rough during their ferry crossing, but she enjoyed seeing the White Cliffs of Dover after reading about them.
Graves has also traveled extensively within the U.S., often when competing in bowling in the Senior Olympics. She clearly remembers the first time she ever bowled. It took place in 1966 on Easter Sunday while her family was living in Cincinnati, OH. She had always wanted to try her hand at bowling, but bowling alleys in Bluefield, WV, didn’t welcome African Americans. She immediately loved the sport and has been bowling ever since. She has traveled to 10 states to compete in bowling and remains passionate about the sport, practicing each week with her bowling league.
In March, Graves celebrated her 86th birthday with friends and family at a party held at Gum Springs Community Center. During the party, she was surprised by a special guest, Mount Vernon Supervisor Dan Storck, who presented Graves with a plaque in recognition and appreciation of her 25-year career with Fairfax County Public Schools and her decades of service as an Elections Officer. Around this same time, she received the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award from AmeriCorps and the Office of the President for her many years of volunteer service. Graves is proud of her service and grateful for the recognition.
Graves’ goals and plans for the future are simple. She wants to continue living her life doing what she enjoys – spending time with family and friends, bowling, reading, and participating in the senior program. “I’m just glad to be alive each morning I wake up. The day is not perfect, and some are better than others. I just take it one day at a time,” she says.
This article is part of the Golden Gazette monthly newsletter which covers a variety of topics and community news concerning older adults and caregivers in Fairfax County. Are you new to the Golden Gazette? Don’t miss out on future newsletters! Subscribe to get the electronic or free printed version mailed to you. Have a suggestion for a topic? Share it in an email or call 703-324-GOLD (4653).