Obituary of Jonathan Stephen Betts

BELFAST - Jonathan Stephen Betts, 26, died unexpectedly Friday, July 12, 2013, at his residence. Jonathan was born April 3, 1987, at Penobscot Bay Medical Center, Rockport, son of Stephen Patrick and Nancy Rae (Moody) Betts of Rockland. Jon was a happy child who enjoyed building Legos, playing with his favorite fire truck and dressing up as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Jon was the only boy in the neighborhood and as a young child would yell out "the goils are here, the goils are here" when his older sister, Jackie's friends would come over to visit. He played Little League baseball, and was on the Kiwanis championship team in 1998 and 1999. He also played on the gray team, coached by his dad, in the Willy Walter soccer league. Jon was not an avid reader until the Harry Potter series was published and then could not put down books. Jonathan graduated from Rockland District High School in 2005. While at RDHS, he played varsity soccer and indoor and outdoor track. He earned several medals in the high jump, 100-meter dash and relay runs at state and regional meets during his junior and senior years. He purchased his first car - a yellow Mustang, as a sophomore in high school. Jon was proud of that car, having earned the money from his first job working at Grape's Restaurant. Jonathan attended Boston Architectural Center, Boston, for one year before attending the University of Maine, Orono. His studies focused on finance and economics. He had been employed for nearly two years at Bank of America, Belfast. His co-workers recall Jon as a person always willing to help them and with a personality that lit up a room. Jonathan's life, however, was first and foremost about family and friends. He adored his two nieces, Kayla Rae and Emma Lynn, and would stop by to visit them with gifts of time and toys. There is one family photograph of Jonathan dressed up in a wig playing on a toy guitar with Emma and Kayla. In the past year, a special woman entered Jon's life. He adored Christa Carlson. Jon was excited to introduce Christa to his family. They spent time together, including hikes on Mount Battie in Camden. Jonathan was predeceased by his mother. Since her death three years ago, Jonathan struggled with addiction, but fought valiantly to overcome it. He was also predeceased by two sisters, Valerie Rae and Jessica Lynn. He is survived by his father and stepmom, Maureen Montgomery of Rockland; sister, Jacquelyn Betts of Rockland, and two children, Kayla and Emma; grandmother, Lucia Betts of Rockland; uncles, James Betts and wife, Marty Henson, of Winthrop, Timothy and Kendra Betts of Hershey, Neb., Stephen Moody and Cindy Shepard of Sidney, and Lonnie and Linda Moody of Smithfield; cousins Jennie, Matt, Samantha, Seth, Rachael, Emily, Nick and Drew; and the love of his life, Christa and their dog, Sebago. A memorial service is scheduled 2 p.m. Saturday at the summit of Mount Battie in Camden. A private burial will be after at Achorn Cemetery, Rockland. Donations can be made to Bob Gagnon Cancer Fund, care of Pen Bay Healthcare Foundation, 22 White St., Rockland, ME 04841.