Betty Jean Harden-Eley

Published 9:47 pm Monday, June 6, 2011

Betty Jean Harden-Eley, 60, of 904 Ann St., Portsmouth, Va., died Friday, June 3, 2011, after a longtime illness, at Maryview Medical Center in Portsmouth. She was a native of Suffolk, Va., and the daughter of the late Raymond Lee Towns Sr. and Lillie Mae Towns. She was predeceased by her sister, Rosa Lee Towns.

Harden-Eley

Her last employment was with the Tidewater Occupational Center in Suffolk.

She leaves to cherish her memory: her husband, Bobby Eley; two daughters, Tammy Simms and Sierra Eley, both of Portsmouth; three sons, Troy Harden (Lavette), Ivan Simms Jr. and Terrance Beamon, all of Suffolk; four grandchildren, Aaliyah Simms, Ivan Lee Simms III, Zyren Simms and Kemari Eley; four sisters, Margaret Lawrence, Mary Jean Towns, Catherine Towns and Eva Mae Towns-Hinton (Wayne), all of Suffolk; five brothers, Raymond L. Towns Jr., Roy Lee Towns (Beverly), John A. Towns and Rosevell Towns, all of Suffolk, and Ricky A. Towns (Bernice), of Smithfield; a host of uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m., Thursday, June 9, 2011, at St. Timothy Baptist Church, 1613 E. Washington St., officiated by the Rev. Thomas Harden Jr. Interment will be at Carver Memorial Cemetery. A wake will be from 7 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, June 8, 2011, at the funeral home. Crocker Funeral Home, Inc. is handling the arrangements. Condolences may be extended to the family at www.crockerfuneralhome.com.