Bettie Smolansky Obituary Bettie M. Smolansky, 84, of Bethlehem, died peacefully on November 28, 2024. Born in Columbia, South Carolina, she was the daughter of the late Jennings Moretz, a Lutheran minister, and Opal Ledford Moretz, a schoolteacher. Avid believers in the importance of education, the pair instilled in their children a lifelong passion for learning. Following her childhood in South Carolina and Florida, Bettie was educated at Lenoir-Ryhne College and Duke University before relocating to Bethlehem to join the faculty at Moravian College in 1964. Bettie was a devoted educator. She had a long, distinguished 45-year academic career at Moravian attaining the rank of Full Professor of Sociology while also spending several years in various roles in college administration, including Dean of the Faculty and Dean of Academic Affairs. She published a great number of scholarly works and received many honors, including the Lindback Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching. Bettie took a sabbatical from the College in 1982 to attend the Pennsylvania State University to obtain her Ph.D. In true Bettie fashion, she completed her full course of study and her dissertation in less than two years. Her dissertation, a pioneering study of educational administration, was awarded a national prize: the Goodman-Malamuth Dissertation Award for Methodological Innovation and Excellence. In addition to her academic career, Bettie passionately believed in and lived a life of service through her volunteer work with numerous organizations in the Lehigh Valley including the United Way, YWCA and the Northampton County Area Agency on Aging Advisory Board. All who knew Bettie will remember her sharp intellect and tremendous sense of humor. They will recall her kindness, generosity, compassion, fierce loyalty, and her intense feistiness and general badassery in any situation that called for it. Bettie is survived by her husband of 58 years, Dr. Oles M. Smolansky, of Bethlehem; daughter, Alexandra Smolansky and her fiance, Chris Sfinas, of Doylestown; son, Nicholas Jennings Smolansky and his wife, Tammy Rives Smolansky, of Ridgewood, NJ; and the absolute apple of her eye, beloved grandson Alexander John Rives Smolansky; brother Rufus Moretz and his wife, Mary Moretz, and beloved niece Lynn Moretz. She was predeceased by her brother Walter Jennings Moretz, Jr. A private memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Bettie M. Smolansky Scholarship Fund at Moravian University.