Betty Jane Brady Barber-Hughes, 89, passed away on December 18, 2020. Betty studied art and design at Texas State Women's College and finalized her studies at the University of Texas in Austin. She and her husband, Jerry, moved to Phoenix in 1955. She acted as Vice President of Jerry Barber Realty, where she and Jerry pioneered mobile home development in Phoenix. Together, they began collecting art of the Southwest in the 1960s. She fostered her love of the arts through many years of membership and leadership in the National Society of Arts and Letters and the International Friends of Transformative Art. Additionally, she was a member of the Jonathan Art Foundation in Los Angeles, California.



After the passing of Jerry, Betty married her now late husband, Erville W. Hughes. They patronized the Farm House Fraternity Scholarship for the University of Nebraska and supported the arts through Gardens for Humanity and scholarships at ASU’s Katherine Herberger School of Fine Arts. She was also one of the founding members of Art Salon Society, which seeks to bring the age-old tradition of intimate art gatherings to the modern day.



Betty was a longtime member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. She served as President of the Colonial Dames of America Arizona Chapter XXV and campaigned to donate a garden bench engraved for the garden at CDA's Mount Vernon Hotel & Museum to honor Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. This year, she received the Van Rensselaer Award for Distinguished Service from The Colonial Dames of America.



Betty is preceded in death by her first husband, Jerry D. Barber, and her second husband, Erville W. Hughes. Betty is survived by a daughter, two grandchildren, one great-grandson, and extended family members.

Due to the unprecedented circumstances presented by COVID-19, a memorial service is pending and will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the Colonial Dames of America and the Phoenix Boys Choir. (Source: Arizona Republic)