Betty Doyle

Betty Doyle, 96, of Massillon, passed away on September 28, 2025, at home surrounded by her family.

Per Betty’s request, cremation has taken place. She asked us to direct our thoughts to her beautiful story. A story she loved to write about, a story well lived and hard fought with many hallelujahs. In the year 1928, on October 4th, a tiny bundle of “I just can't wait to jump into this world with feistiness” was born to Nelle and Julius Ellerman. She was so fragile, the doctor said that her only hope was to place her in a box and use the heat from the stove to warm her. Not only did that stove bring warmth and hope, it became the incubator which nurtured a future matriarch to so many generations. Betty J. Ellerman went on to marry Carl Doyle. They welcomed 3 children: Michael Doyle, Cathleen (David) Cavanaugh, & Gail (Lee) Snyder. Betty and Carl were committed and lucky to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary before he went on to get the heavenly party started in 1977. Betty was blessed and proud to stay behind, witnessing the fruits of their whirlwind love which expanded to include 6 grandchildren: Laurie (Joshua), Summer, Brent, Anne, Emily, and Julia. 18 Great grandchildren and their loves; Tyler (Ingrid), Erin (Timothy), Bailey (Morgan), Jordan, Sara (Eddie), Camron, Jackson, Saleigha, TyeTye K. (Stephanie), Hannah, Kal-El, Hannah-Lauren (Malik), Stella, Eva, Oliver, Norah, Sawyer, and Archer. Soon to be 11 Great, Great, Grandchildren; Ella, Levi, Kove, Boston, Gatlin, Raleigh, Noah, Braxton and Naelani. She was looking forward to meeting Baby Smith and Bernardo, in the coming months. One of her greatest and most joyous activities was counting her offspring, their offspring & their offspring’s, offspring! Betty welcomed each new family member with her unapologetic and sometimes brutal honesty. If anyone didn’t like it, they could just go back to wherever they came from. That said, to know her was to love her, beyond eternity. Her feisty, loving humor allowed her to make friends wherever she went from hair salons to ice cream stands; bingo halls to membership clubs; Fishing lakes in Canada to Ohio campgrounds all the way to the sunny Gulf shores of Florida. Betty never knew a stranger. In fact, she was known to many as Great Grandma Buddy because she was truly a “Grandma” and a “buddy” to all. Betty enjoyed and cherished many memories with her longtime, dearest friends, Marlene, Donna, Ann, Glenna, Alice and Marylin. She could tell stories for days about mischievous office banter, writing club adventures, jitterbugging many nights away, and horseracing strategies learned by keeping her eyes/ears open but never sharing the secret to her success. She was especially proud to come home from the races with a pocket full of coin winnings as her partner in crime (Joe) pulled on the lint filled, lining of his very empty pockets for all to see. Her luck and strategies transitioned well to bingo halls across the nation as she mastered multiple cards and never missed a number. Rest assured she would let you know if you missed a number as she reached across to dab your card, too! Even when she decidedly gave up her 55 plus years of a safe driving record, she kept her will to GO-GO-GO! She created her own method of transportation (unsurprising due to her 25 plus years as a director of transportation with City Service, to include air/land and sea travel) using the Cadillac grade walker which doubled as a shopping cart on her journey to local resale shops and discount stores. Betty’s love of life and living it to the fullest reached many places and touched many souls. The warmth of that old, 1928 stove spoiled her to some degree as she couldn’t have enough warm socks, long nightgowns or cozy blankets. The warmth of that stove also ignited a fire in her that spanned across 9 decades, nearing 100 years. In her prime, she took pleasure joining her family on vacations to Myrtle Beach, teaching her grandkids to take time to smell the flowers and all about the moon. She continued to enjoy road trips, and wheelchair dancing in her later years. Betty passed away 6 days before she would have seen her 97th birthday. She left a void that can never be filled but a lifetime of memories that can never be erased. Oh, how she missed and longed to be reunited with her friends and family who went before her to include a few angel grandbabies whom we know she cradles in our place, for now. We can hear her singing, "Bye-Oh-Bye-Oh-Bye-Oh” as the rocking chair squeaks the floorboards of Heaven, in our hearts and imagination. Betty wanted to acknowledge those who contributed to expanding her familial legacy, Michael, Sean, Melanie, Paul, Nate, CC and TP. She wanted to extend special thanks to those who repeatedly checked in and offered support to include but not limited to, Tom, Barb, Kellie, Kristin, Melissa, Ireland, Scotland, Charlotte, Archie, Vince, Scott, Jeanine and Kaliyah M. Our deepest appreciation is extended to her incredible nurse, Diane for the most personalized and compassionate care provided to our grandma/Mom! Betty was recently most excited to meet Jesus, describing it as an expected glorious day to come. She had a special fondness of and for The United Methodist Church in Canal Fulton, their continued prayers and mailers brought her comfort as she began to slow down. She adored Flowers by Dick and Son of New Franklin, Ohio as she could send them a chicken scratched note with a request to send flowers and somehow, they could decipher it and honor that request. They remembered her birthday even when she didn’t. The anticipation of meeting her Jesus brought a smile to her face which spoke a million blissful words in the sparkle it brought to her brilliantly blue eyes. Grandma Buddy slept her last earthly day away as she rested up for the adventure of a lifetime. We are certain that her son, siblings, many friends, aunts, nieces, nephews, uncles, parents and our PopPop, anxiously greeted her as she earned her seat right next to them in Heaven. We will never forget you and promise to carry you in our hearts through each trial, tribulation and celebration. Until then, enjoy the great yard sale deals, don’t forget to clean up your Hershey kiss wrappers & light up those pearly gates as you sing with your traveling German Choir. That’s all she wrote. Great, Great, Sassy, Grandma Buddy… until we meet, again, “10/4, over and out!” A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, October 5th, 2025. Details to be determined.

Memorials may be made to the Canal Fulton United Methodist Church or your local Goodwill.