Betty (Dennis) Leon

The Life of Betty Dennis Leon

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

2 Timothy 4:7

Death is just a step into a better life and on Wednesday, February 15, 2023 at St. Joseph Hospice, God dispatched His angels to transport His daughter from her earthly home to her eternal home. She was 88 years old.

Betty  Dennis Leon (affectionately known as Betty Mae) was born on May 23, 1934 to the late Achille and Elnora Dennis. She was a native of Montz, LA and a resident of Norco, LA (St. Charles Parish) and La Place, LA (St. John the Baptist Parish). At an early age, Betty found a love for God, and she attended Mass regularly with her family at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Reserve, LA. She also attended school as a young girl at Our Lady of Grace Catholic School. 

Betty loved God, her family, and cooking. She spent many years in Norco working at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church and Jeffrey’s Restaurant. She was a resolute member of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Norco. She later moved to La Place and became a resolute member of Ascension of Our Lord Catholic Church.

Betty’s love for cooking kept the doors of her home open to anyone that wanted or needed a meal. Her home in Norco was affectionately called the “Big House” because she and her daughter Martha would cook and sell food to everyone in the community. If you knew Betty, then you know she’s never met a stranger. She was a friend to many, and she was loved by all.

Betty was a warm, kind woman with an easy-going demeanor that was most often paired with laughter that made the listener's heart melt. She could make anyone laugh with the  funny stories she would tell. She loved music, dancing, and welcoming people into her home for family gatherings. Later in life, Betty met and married the late William Leon. They spent several wonderful years together until his passing in 1976. 

Betty will best be remembered as a woman with a warm heart whose life’s mission was to spread love, share kindness, and cook a good meal for anyone she met.  She was a faith-filled, praying woman—faithful to God, her husband, her children & grandchildren, her church, and her community. She taught her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren the power of prayer and the importance of having a relationship with God.

Betty leaves to cherish her memory her 5 children; Peggy (Charles) Flowers, Martha Sanders, Ronald (Marilyn) Keller, Kevin Leon, & Dwayne Leon; 5 grandchildren; Darnell Simms, Nia (Kenneth) Sanders-Bowden, Michael Sanders, Jr., Jaslynn (Bryan) Guidry, and Monique Leon; 9 great-grandchildren; Kenneth Bowden, Jr., Kameron Bowden, Kennedi Bowden, Darnell Simms, Jr., Aaliyah Simms, Desiree Simms, Summer Simms, Love Simms, & Star Simms; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Betty was preceded in death by her husband William Leon, her parents Achille and Elnora Dennis, and her great-granddaughter Angel Bowden.

Relatives and friends of the family, Priest and Parishioners of Ascension of Our Lord Catholic Church, Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, Norco, LA. and all neighboring churches are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 25, 2023 at the St. Dominic Center-Ascension of Our Lord Catholic Church, 1809 Greenwood Drive, Laplace, LA  70068.  Visitation 9:30 a.m. until time of Mass at the above-named Church.  Recitation of the Most Holy Rosary at 10:15 a.m.  Interment St. John Memorial Gardens, 2205 W. Airline Hwy, Laplace, LA.  70068.  Final Arrangements Entrusted to Patrick H. Sanders Funeral Home & Funeral Directors, Inc.  605 Main Street, Laplace, LA  70068.  For information 985-359-1919.  “Providing Care & Comfort is Our Highest Mission”