1927 — 2023
After a well-lived life of 95 years, Elizabeth Mary Turner (Betty) left this world with a treasure chest of memories and coincidences befitting a transplanted New Yorker to Texas. Born in Bronxville on July 16, 1927 and raised in Tuckahoe, New York, Betty enjoyed her Catholic schooling at Our Lady of Good Counsel in White Plains. After graduation and secretarial school, she rode the train into Manhattan each day where she worked as an executive assistant at Johns-Manville Corporation. One day a handsome young man, Stan Turner, asked if he might sit in the empty seat next to her where they struck up a conversation. A few months later they were married in a chapel in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.
Shortly thereafter, the couple left for Beaumont, the headquarters of the company where Stan worked, and Betty found a job with a gentleman from Austin who owned a company in Beaumont. His name was Maurice Acers, and he had served as chief of staff to former governor Allen Shivers as well as having previously been Special Agent in Charge of the San Antonio office of the FBI. Maurice coaxed Betty and Stan into moving to Austin, where Stan found a job as a pilot for State of Texas officials.
Back in Beaumont one day in the late 1950s, Maurice climbed into a cab to the airport with a female passenger who had just finished a presentation to a group of real estate agents. Another fortuitous conversation occurred, and a long distance romance ensued with Ebby Halliday resulting in their 1965 marriage. Maurice maintained a home in Austin while commuting to and from Dallas for a few years. Tragically in 1967, Stan Turner died in a plane crash.
A few years later, Maurice closed his Austin operations and moved full time to work with Ebby in Ebby Halliday Realtors. He was actually returning to his hometown. He asked Betty to move to Dallas, which she gladly accepted and worked as executive assistant to both Ebby and Maurice. She was a key component to the unprecedented growth of the firm for the next 45 years.
After Maurice’s death in 1993 from lung disease, Betty devoted her full attention and then some to helping Ebby with her meetings, speaking engagements, and trip plans. She traveled with Ebby overseas many times and a couple of times to the Irish homeland of her forefathers. Betty accompanied Ebby to countless dinners and charity events throughout the years. When Ebby (at 102) reduced her office hours, Betty took the work to Ebby at her longtime residence on Preston Road behind the Ebby Little White House office at the northwest corner of Preston Road and Northwest Highway. Betty was steadfast in her service to Ebby until her death in 2015 at 104. Betty retired shortly thereafter, at the age of 88, having worked almost continuously for 70 years, 54 of which were for Ebby and Maurice.
Betty’s support of numerous charitable, civic and educational institutions in the Dallas area were appreciated by many individuals over the years. Her involvement will be greatly missed.
Betty passed away quickly (seven days), but peacefully from the ravages of COVID-19 on January 30, 2023. She is predeceased by her parents, Daniel and Elizabeth Hendron, who emigrated from Co. Armagh, N. Ireland, and her sisters Eileen McNally, Ann Schlegel, and brother Daniel Hendron. She is survived by several loving nieces and nephews. In keeping with her unassuming demeanor, Betty requested there be no public memorial service. She willed her body to science.
Gifts in remembrance of Betty may be made to the Ebby Halliday Foundation. www.ebbyhallidayfoundation.org.
