Biography: Betty Ann Van Sluyter Herron never met a stranger. A fierce competitor and unyielding advocate for equality, public health, education and the arts, Betty passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024.
 
She was born on Feb. 23, 1943, in Wichita Falls, Texas, to Nellie Olin and Charles Adam Van Sluyter. Her father was a hospital administrator for the Veterans Administration, and the family moved several times over the course of her childhood. She graduated from Parma High School in Parma, Ohio, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the Ohio State University in Columbus.
 
She met Jerry while both were students at Ohio State. After their marriage in 1965, Betty and Jerry moved often as Jerry completed a tour of duty in the U.S. Navy as a submariner and a medical internship and residency in pulmonology. After living in Dallas; Charleston, S.C.; Arlington, Va.; and Durham, N.C., the family moved to Little Rock to start Jerry’s medical practice and raise their family, and Betty worked as a registered nurse for the Arkansas Visiting Nurse Association.
 
Her impact on central Arkansas was profound. Betty and Jerry joined Second Presbyterian Church shortly after the move to Little Rock. Betty co-chaired several stewardship campaigns at the church and was a member of numerous Bible studies and ministry programs including the Stephens Ministry. It was in the nonprofit community, though, where Betty really made her mark.
 
A gifted communicator, she was elected to an at-large position on the Little Rock School Board in 1980. She served the city during a challenging and tumultuous time when the district was embroiled in a desegregation lawsuit. Betty was instrumental in helping board members find common ground, especially in bitter disputes over bussing and zoning, and she loved to point out that the board never fired a superintendent.
 
Betty advocated for the inclusion of varsity girls basketball in Little Rock public schools, arguing that the sport would provide girls, especially those from lower-income families, with opportunities to earn college scholarships. When girls basketball eventually was added to the athletics programs of LRSD schools, Betty’s colleagues on the board awarded her with a signed basketball.
 
After retiring from nursing and following her service on the school board, Betty embraced her passion and launched (from her dining room table) a significant nonprofit organization, TAPP – the Teenage Alcohol Prevention Program. TAPP would evolve into Arkansans for Drug-Free Youth, which provided drug awareness, advocacy and resources for communities and youth. She served as executive director for many years and was responsible for bringing the Red Ribbon Campaign to Arkansas every October. She retired from ADFY in 2001.
 
Betty continued her support of public health as development director in the UAMS Department of Psychiatry. In addition to her involvement with the church, Betty was active in community affairs. She held multiple positions with the Arkansas Symphony Guild including president, and she was active in her support for the Symphony Designer House. Music held a special place in her heart, and she helped raise money for children to have musical instruments in public schools. 
 
As a member of Coalition for Tobacco Free Arkansas, she worked with Gov. Mike Huckabee to make the state Capitol smoke free, and she traveled the state advocating for tobacco settlement dollars to be spent on education related to the detrimental effects of tobacco use.
 
Betty believed that happiness is a journey, not a destination, and that life is not about waiting for the storms to pass but learning to dance in the rain.
 
Betty was a beloved wife, mother and grandmother. Her grandkids lovingly called her “B” and she was known for her trademark greeting, “How are ya, darlin’?” She was a dedicated Democrat and one of the “Arkansas Travelers” who campaigned across the country for Hillary Clinton.
 
A true Northern expatriate, Betty loved her Buckeyes and served good, old fashioned Yankee stuffing at Thanksgiving rather than dressing. She loved Arkansas and was a staunch defender of her adopted state. She pulled for the Hogs (as long as they weren’t playing Ohio State), insisted on “debts” over “trespasses” when reciting the Lord’s Prayer before meals at home with family and friends and exuded Southern charm and hospitality. To her friends and family, she was a tireless ally and advocate who is remembered as a fighter, one of a kind and as a family friend shared, a “force for all that is good and true.”
 
Betty is survived by her husband of 59 years, Jerry M Herron; her children, Jennifer Ann Herron (Jeff Horton), Patrick Alden Herron (Cindy) and Anne Elizabeth Herron Carter (Mark), all of Little Rock; grandchildren Jake Horton, Ava Horton, Porter Herron, William Carter and Luke Carter; a younger brother and sister, Charles K. Van Sluyter (Joyce) of Barrington, R.I., and Gretchen Kirkpatrick (Tim) of Santa Fe, N.M.; nephews Corey Kirkpatrick (Akara) of Santa Fe; T.J. Kirkpatrick (Becca) of Oregon City, Ore.; Jeremy Kirkpatrick (Sherry) of Vista, Calif.; Steve Van Sluyter of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; and Kate Van Sluyter (William) of Boulder, Col.
 
A service honoring Betty will be held on Sat., Oct. 12, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. at Second Presbyterian Church, located at 600 Pleasant Valley Drive in Little Rock. Her ashes will be interred in the columbarium at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Second Presbyterian or the Arkansas Symphony Guild. Arrangements are under the direction of RuebelFuneralHome.com