Betty Jean Hilton

Betty Jean Hilton, 87, of Biloxi, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, on July 4, 2019, in Biloxi. To the many people whose lives she touched, the world seems a little less bright. The eldest of six children, Betty was born on May 11, 1932, in Biloxi, and she lived her entire life in Biloxi. She graduated from Biloxi High School in 1950 and attended Louisiana State University. She was a devoted and active parishioner of Nativity B.V.M. Cathedral, where she served as a Eucharistic Minister and volunteered with the St. Vincent de Paul Society and in the church rectory. Betty served the community as a volunteer with the Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts and with AARP as a tax preparer. A member of the L’Bonheur Club, she served two terms as President. She also served as club mother of Debuteen Social Club from 1977-79. She was an avid tennis and golf player and a deeply devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, who cherished time spent with family. Betty met her husband, Jerome Edward (Ed) Hilton, Jr., also a native Biloxian, during high school at a summer band practice, later marrying him in 1953. She had fond memories of her time as a clarinet player in Biloxi High School’s marching band and later, when her children attended high school, she became a tireless, dedicated member of the band’s booster society. She is preceded in death by her mother, Irma Scarborough DeSilvey; her siblings, Carol Lee Lynd Pitalo, Irma Lee DeSilvey Anderson, and David DeSilvey; and her aunt, Ura Scarborough Meyers. Betty is survived by her husband of 66 years, Ed; their children, Jennifer, Jerry, Dennis, Lydia and Marjorie; eight grandchildren; twelve great-grandchildren; a sister, Susan DeSilvey Anderson; a brother, Colin (Buddy) DeSilvey; and two sisters-in-law. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Nativity B.V.M. Cathedral in Biloxi on Tuesday, July 9, 2019, at 9:30 am. Family and friends may visit from 8:30 am until Mass time. Interment will follow at the Biloxi National Cemetery, 400 Veteran’s Boulevard, Biloxi, MS 39531. A reception will follow at the Sacred Heart Center at Nativity Cathedral. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Nativity Parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Society, 870 Howard Avenue, Biloxi, MS 39530. The Howard Avenue Chapel of Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.