June 7, 1945 – April 5, 2023
RUNAWAY BAY – Bettye “Dianne” Radcliffe, 77, went home to her Lord on April 5, 2023 following a lengthy battle with ovarian cancer.
A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. on April 22 at Bridgeport Methodist Church in Bridgeport. Interment will be at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Veteran’s Cemetery in Grand Prairie. The date is not yet determined.
Dianne was born June 7, 1945 in Fort Worth to Casey and Berniece Jones. She was a loving sister to Bobby Champion Jones of Jacksboro. She attended Arlington Heights High School and graduated in 1963. After High School she attended the University of North Texas until 1966.
In 1967 she joined the United States Navy and became a hospital corpsman, where she met the love of her life, James “Jim” Radcliffe, in 1968 at Physical Therapy Technician School Naval Hospital in Bethesda, MD. She married Jim on Aug. 23, 1969 in Fort Worth. She was discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1970 due to becoming pregnant with their first child, Tia. Dianne and Jim had their second child, Tege, in 1971.
Dianne attended Sul Ross State University in Alpine, TX and graduated with a master’s degree in education in 1975. She had her first teaching job as a first grade teacher in Dell City, TX from 1975-1979. She taught her son Tege in first grade and he called her Mrs. Radcliffe the entire year, no one knew that she was his mom. (They know now).
After leaving Dell City for Denton, she went back to school at Texas Woman’s University, where she received her certification in deaf education. She then went to teach special education at Bowie Elementary from 1980-1990. She also taught at Tanglewood Elementary in Fort Worth from 1990-1995. After many years of teaching special education, she became an educational diagnostician in 1995 and worked for Wise County Cooperative until her retirement in 2003. She was an educator for a total of 28 years.
Dianne was an active member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International and a member of the local Gamma Epsilon Chapter of Texas since 1984.
Dianne was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1990, ovarian cancer 2019-2020 and again with ovarian cancer 2021-2023. She bravely battled cancer three times from 1990-2023. She beat it twice and is one of the strongest women to all who knew her.
She was proud to be a native Texan and a U.S. Navy Veteran.
She is survived by her husband of 53 years, James M. Radcliffe, Runaway Bay; daughter, Tia Langston and husband Mark, Somersworth, NH; son, Tege Radcliffe, Runaway Bay; brother, Bobby Jones, Jacksboro; nephew Casey Jones; grandchildren, Timothy Beaulieu and fiancé Erika Lopez, New Bedford, MA, and Krisitin Langston, Waterford, CT; three great-granddaughters, Nashaly, Elizabeth and Annabella Beaulieu, New Bedford, MA; brother-in-law, Richard Radcliffe, Concordia, KS; niece, Jillian Richard and husband Craig, Leawood, KS and their children Griffin and Evie.
The family wishes to send a special thank you to the staff of Solaris Hospice for their care, kindness and compassion.
Memorial donations may be made in the name of Bettye Dianne Radcliffe to a charity of your choice.
Arrangements entrusted to Hawkins Funeral Home.

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