Mrs. Betty Jean Mackey, 94, was born April 28, 1931, and went home to the Lord on February 18, 2026, in Lexington.
Betty was born at Benham, on her mother’s birthday, which they often celebrated together. Her peaceful childhood was filled with loving parents, siblings, extended family and their church. She accepted the Lord as a young teenager and often joined her sisters around the piano to sing gospel music, blessing those nearby with heavenly harmonies.
As a young woman, Betty loved sketching fashion designs—the beginning of many talents that blossomed throughout her life. Betty sang to herself, with friends, at revival meetings, at church and later to her children at home throughout the day.
At age 16, she married Kenneth Mackey, whom she had known since childhood. Upon his return from service in World War II, the newlyweds left their rural roots and settled in Detroit to raise their family. Betty learned to sew to make clothes for herself and her children, eventually becoming such a skilled seamstress that she once duplicated a wedding dress from a magazine photograph.
Her sewing talent went far beyond clothing and further manifested artistically. She designed vintage-style animals, dresses for porcelain dolls and crafts of all kinds—many of which she gifted to family members and friends or donated to church fundraisers. No seamstress-related craft was beyond her ability.
At age 65, she discovered a new passion for painting and placed an easel by the window in her sewing room. She spent the rest of her life creating art and several family members now proudly display an original “Betty Mackey” in their homes.
Throughout her life, she attended many Pentecostal churches, eventually joining The Grace Covenant Church of God, where she taught Sunday school for many years and sang, including some original songs she had written. Betty’s relationship with God continued to deepen in her later years and she was dearly loved by the congregation and pastor. She was a warrior for God until her final days, praying for and spreading the Gospel to everyone she met.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Lucille; her husband, Kenneth; her children, Kenny Ray, Edward, Norman and David; granddaughter, Rachel; great-granddaughter, Enkali and siblings, Ray, Von, Cozetta and Bobby.
She is survived by her children, Carolynn, Larry, Arthur and Michael; daughters-in-law, Lyla and Vina; grandchildren, Mandy, Charity, Andrew, Aaron, Julie, Eric, Lori, Noena, Alexander and Nicholas; great-grandchildren, Alexandra, Darren, Madeleine, Gaje, Leif, Hnoss, Song, Tru, Adriana, Brooklyn, Kevin and Lucio and great-great-grandchild, Paislee. She is also survived by siblings, Michael, Barbara and Rose; sister-in-law, Linda and brother-in-law, Roger; among many other loved ones and dear friends.
A celebration of her life will be held at The Grace Covenant Church of God, 136 Aspen Ave., Richmond Saturday, March 21 at 11 A.M. with Pastor Johnny King officiating. Inurnment will follow in the Mackey Cemetery in Barbourville at 4 P.M.
Local arrangements are under the direction of the Knox Funeral Home.
