Betty Damiano

Betty Menzel Damiano, age 92, passed away on June 25, 2016, under the loving care of her daughters and the staff at the Pacifica Senior Living Center in Pinehurst, Idaho.  Betty was born on April 27, 1924, in Bozeman, Montana.  She was the only daughter of Ernest and Margaret Menzel and the sister of six brothers.  Growing up in Bozeman with her loving and fun-filled family, Betty's life was one charged with music.  Each family member played a different musical instrument with Betty's specialty being the piano.  Although she excelled in piano, her real love began at the age of ten when her mother and father started her in ballet lessons.  From that point on, Betty's focus was learning any and all types of dance and her loving parents, even in hard financial times, saw to it that her dream became a reality.  While growing up, she spent many happy times with her extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins.  She loved her Montana family with all her heart.

In 1942 after graduation from Bozeman High School, Betty moved to Issaquah, Washington. With World War II in full swing and so many men off to war, Boeing started hiring women and Betty got a job as an airplane mechanic.  While living in Issaquah and working at Boeing, she attended Seattle University and continued her dance education at Cornish School of Ballet and tap classes from many renown teachers.  Betty just could not get enough dancing!  In 1946 she moved to Wallace, Idaho, to be the assistant dance instructor to Clara O'Neill and soon thereafter Mrs. O'Neill turned her dance studio over to Betty and her long career of dance educator began.  The passion she found at age ten became a passion to share with anyone who wanted to learn, and those who didn't soon found out they loved to dance too.  She was a magical teacher.

Betty's love for music and dance did not stop with her dance studio, she wrote, produced, and directed together with her dear friend and colleague, Joan Springer, many shows.  Beginning in the late 1950's, she engaged the community in creating variety and Minstral shows with all proceeds donated to benefit various school needs.  Damiano-Springer Productions presented many shows to entertain the residents of the Silver Valley.  Probably one of her most beloved choreographies was Swan Lake performed by the Men's Culture Club for Wallace's Slippery Gulch Days.  The dancing Swans and Hunters brought joy and laughter to those performing and those watching.

Betty's dance school, The Betty Menzel Damiano School of Dance, for close to 50 years taught hundreds of children the art of ballet, tap, jazz, and gymnastics.  However, dance was only a piece of the education, the children learned poise, confidence, and stage presence -- skills they could carry into their lives.

Betty was married to her devoted husband, Ernest Damiano,  on April 6, 1947, in Kellogg, Idaho.  Ernest passed away on November 6, 2005.  They were the proud parents of four daughters, Rita (Duncan) Thompson, Spokane Valley, Washington; Anita (Bill) Kennedy, Nampa, Idaho; Vicki (Brian) McGourty, Nampa, Idaho; and Joni (Craig) Bartel, Osburn, Idaho.  They loved and enjoyed each of their seven grandchildren, Gianna, Lisa, Rob, Annie, Kristi, Nathan and Alayna, and their eight great-grandchildren.  Betty has one surviving brother, Robert Menzel, of Salem Oregon.  Betty was a life-long member of the Church of Christ Science.

A service will be held at the Wallace Elk's Lodge, Wallace, Idaho, on Wednesday, June 29, at 11:00 am.  Burial will follow at the Harrison Cemetery, Harrison, Idaho.  Shoshone Funeral Services of Kellogg is in charge of the arrangements.

Betty's daughters are grateful for the gentle hands, loving hearts and wonderful care their mom received from the staff at the Pacifica, the amazing professionals at Shoshone Medical Center, and especially grateful for the devotion, care and love from her personal caregivers Toni Hill, Renee' Sleezer, P.J. Richardson, Gaile Rowe, Bonnie O'Neil, and Tina Donato.  A special bow of gratitude to Sean Curran and Lisa Darst for the many years of exceptional speech and physical therapy.

In lieu of flowers, the family lovingly requests donations be made to either the Silver Valley Seniors, Inc,. Meals on Wheel, P.O. Box 887, Osburn, ID 83849, or Shoshone County Community Concert Association, SCCCA Treasurer, P.O. Box 469, Wallace, ID 83873.

One may sign Betty’s online guest book at www.shoshonefuneralservice.com

SHOSHONE FUNERAL SERVICES & CREMATORY KELLOGG, IDAHO is entrusted with funeral arrangements.