Betty Marie Leimbach

Betty Marie (nee Heilman) Leimbach of Brighton Township passed away peacefully on August 8, 2017 at Mercy New Life Hospice in Lorain, she was 86. Born on January 3, 1931 in Kenton, Ohio to the late Bryan and Ruth (nee Thompson) Heilman she married Harold Lewis Leimbach on October 15, 1950, and they shared 31 years together before his passing in 1981. Betty graduated from Oberlin High School (1949) and Oberlin School of Commerce (1950).

Betty began working at the Apollo Theater when she was 14 and remained employed throughout most of her life. She was a teller at the People's Bank in Oberlin for many years. In 1974, Betty became one of the first female insurance agents in Lorain County when she started working for The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Betty saw her customers as friends and enjoyed her work greatly for nearly 30 years. She explored much of the country while attending annual conventions and serving on regional and national Association of Life Underwriters Boards. She was the first woman elected to the Lorain County board.

Betty loved her family, her flower gardens, shopping, and her community. She always wanted to help and repeatedly opened her heart and home to her community. Whether you were looking to cool off in the pool, or needed a place to stay for a while, you were welcomed with open arms. She enjoyed singing with the choir, arranging flower bouquets for services, and working at the onion ring booth for her beloved Brighton United Methodist Church.

Betty enjoyed all sports, following Cleveland teams seasonally and attending Wellington Dukes games religiously. She'd drive across the state for Lady Dukes championships, drove carloads of kids into Cleveland for the Indians and sponsored the Mets women's softball team for many years.

Betty is survived by her three children, Steve and Linda (John) Murray of Wellington and Kathy Leimbach and her husband Roy Neher, of Norman, OK, grandchildren Amanda (David) Hyde of Greenfield, MA and Thomas (Jess) Murray of New London and great grandson Luke. She is also survived by her brother Ronald Heilman of Oberlin and Doris Pitts of Brighton Twp. She is preceded in death by her parents, spouse and brother-in-law Robert Pitts.

Friends and family will be received at Norton-Eastman Funeral Home, 370 South Main Street, Wellington on Saturday, August 12, 2017 from 6-8 pm. Services will be on Sunday, August 13, 2017 at 3 pm at the Brighton United Methodist Church. Feel free to bring flowers from your own garden, field or ditch. In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations to the Wellington Schools Endowment Fund (where Betty served for many years), 305 Union Street, Wellington, Ohio 44090. Online condolences may be expressed at www.norton-eastmanfuneralhome.com.