Elizabeth Ann Stripling

Stripling, Elizabeth Ann Elizabeth (Betty) Ann Stripling, aged 91, passed away peacefully on June 30, 2015 in the Little Rose Nursing Home in Albuquerque, where she had been a resident for the past 18 months. Betty Ann relocated to Cochiti Lake, NM, to be close to her daughter in 2010 from Hot Springs, AR, where she had been a long-term resident for over 20 years following her retirement from the University of California in San Diego. She had previously resided in Europe and Las Cruces, NM. Born on June 28, 1924 in Holdenville, OK, she was the only child of Homer Lee and Marie Key. She graduated from High School in Holdenville and attended the Chicksaw Oklahoma College for Women where she was a member of the Sigma Delta Sorority and is a graduate of the Draughn Business College in Oklahoma City. She was married and divorced from Nolan Stripling, Sr., who died in Las Cruces, NM, in 2003. While married to Nolan, Betty lived in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas, as well as overseas in both Germany and Norway and moved to Las Cruces, NM, following the family’s return to the United States. While in Las Cruces, she was an active member of Beta Sigma Phi and is a lifetime member of the Lexington Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star. She subsequently moved to San Diego to take up a senior administrative position with the University of California in San Diego where she remained until she retired. Following her second marriage to William (Bill) Tolleson, the couple moved to Hot Springs, AR, upon their respective retirements where her late husband passed away there in 1988. When living in Hot Springs, Betty Ann became a close friend and strong supporter of Bill and Hillary Clinton. Together with Bill Clinton’s mother, Virginia Kelly and Barbara Streisand as Honorary Chairman, they became founding members of The Clinton Connection and were actively engaged in supporting President Clinton in both of his Presidential campaigns. As a fun loving, warm hearted, respected and much admired woman, she dedicated a lifetime to social work in her communities. She was a wonderful mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, who was much loved by all and will be deeply missed by both her family and friends and all who knew her. She is survived by her son, Nolan Stripling and wife, Christel, residing in Munich, Germany; daughter, Suzanne Kaltenbach and husband, William, living in Cochiti Lake, NM; granddaughter, Natalie Stripling and husband, Christian Steinbach, residing in Cologne, Germany; two grandsons, Christopher Kaltenbach and wife, Shuko, residing in Tokyo, Japan, and Sean Kaltenbach and wife, Tammy, living in Cochiti Lake, NM; along with three great-granddaughters, Chiara Stripling, living in Cologne, Germany, Socorro and Isabella Kaltenbach, living in Cochiti Lake, NM. The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to Heartlands and the Little Rose Nursing Home in Albuquerque for their most loving care and kindness in her last remaining months. A memorial service will be held in her memory on Thursday, July 9, 2015, 10:00 a.m., at FRENCH – University, with graveside services and interment on Saturday, July 11, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. in the Holdenville Cemetery, Holdenville, OK. Please visit our online guestbook for Betty Ann at www.FrenchFunerals.com. FRENCH - University 1111 University Blvd. NE 505-843-6333