Betsee S. Talavera

These brief words are written in honor of Betsee Seegert Talavera, who passed away in late October after a brief illness. Born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, and one of five children of Frederick and Rosemary Seegert.

Betsee was a well learned alumna and graduate of UCSB, earning a teaching degree in bilingual education. Betsee taught throughout Southern California, before settling down in Lompoc with her son Adolfo S.Talavera.

Known to her Hapgood Elementary school students as “Mrs. T”, Betsee quickly made many friends at Hapgood, faculty and students alike. After a long and productive teaching career, Betsee developed her artistic gifts and gathered additional friends throughout the Lompoc Valley art community.

A polymath, Betsee enjoyed researching her family history and genealogy, especially her Irish roots. As a lover of science and nature, she read widely and painted prolifically the hills and coastlines of central California and Oregon.

Never one to be idle, she loved knitting and very much enjoyed making garments for her family and friends. Betsee loved botany and tending to her extensive backyard flower garden. She was cultivating an interest in growing exotic flowers from seed in her greenhouse.

Betsee kept close ties with her widely dispersed family – as far as the East Coast – and made yearly trips up and down the West Coast on visits from California, to family in Oregon and Washington, stopping along the way in order to take photos in preparation for her landscape paintings.

Betsee’s innate kindness, generosity, humor, and intelligence were well known and she was much admired and respected by all who found themselves within her sphere of acquaintance and friendship – we will miss her greatly.

Betsee is survived by her son Adolfo Talavera, daughter-in-law Nuron Talavera, and granddaughter Arwen Talavera, of Washington state. Siblings Teri Heustis, and Bill Seegert of Santa Barbara, Chris Seegert of Oroville, and Junee Seegert of Oregon.