Betty Jo Robbins

Betty Jo DeCuir Robbins, 91, of Port Arthur passed away on Tuesday, July 30, 2024 at Cascades of Port Arthur, A native of Port Arthur and lifelong resident, she graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Port Arthur, where she was a member of the Red Hussar Drum and Bugle Corp. Betty worked as a baker for her sister-in-law, Barbara at Barbara’s Bon Bon for several years. She was a member of Memorial Baptist Church in Port Arthur.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents, Emmitt J. DeCuir and Lilimae Cole DeCuir; her husband, Lon Paul Robbins; her brother, Jerry DeCuir; her son, Johnny Lee Robbins and her grandson, John Christian Robbins.

She is survived by her son, Barry Robbins of Houston; her daughter, Paula Robbins Adam of Marrero, Louisiana; her grandchildren, Rodney Adam, Kassidy Adam Prestenbach, Kandi Robbins Patterson, Jordan Robbins and Zachary Robbins along with 9 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Arrangements for cremation are entrusted to Clayton Thompson Funeral Directors in Groves.

Her son, Barry posted this to his facebook page,

So, I’m assuming your mothers were sweet and kind and full of motherly advice and many other things that make mom’s great. I think of my mom this way.

Today she has passed away and is done with her earthly body and is in the presence of our Lord.

She was an inspiration to me, although I didn’t always express that properly enough, as some kids don’t. She was always the one who gave me great advice and encouragement when things in my life weren’t the way I expected them to turn out. She was the first person I ever heard say “what would Jesus do?”, long before that was commercialized. Her advice was always poignant and straightforward laced with sweetness only a mother can deliver.

When I would come home to visit she would always want to feed me something, so I made it a point to arrive hungry. When she and my dad lived with us my boys would sit in her room and ask a million questions and get a million answers. My dad was there to spoil them. My mom was there to teach them.

She would always find something good to say about people. I don’t think I ever really heard her say anything bad about anyone. I heard her say one curse word in her life. She was upset about something(long story) and she said “shit”. It was funny.

I found out after I became an adult I could talk to her about anything and she wouldn’t shy away from the subject. I was respectful of course. I never cursed in front of my mom, out of pure respect not fear. I left that up to dad. LOL.

She’s had stage 4 dementia for some time now and she really has been gone for a long time, but up until a few months ago there would be little moments of not necessarily clarity, but unexpected sweet comments or a name would pop out of her mouth and would make me smile. Occasionally she would say “I love you” out of nowhere. Tears would flow. We kept a radio playing in her room on a gospel station and occasionally she would start singing some of the words. Tears would flow. A few years ago she made some remarks about my brother and she missed him. I was stunned. Tears flowed. I was feeding her last year and she said ummm…good. Tears flowed. As I type this now tears are flowing.

My memories of her are of a sweet, Godly, tough, respectful woman that loved to serve others.

Y’all should all known her, you would agree.

I’ll miss my Mom, but I’m glad she is no longer suffering.