Betty Rae Kotara

Betty Rae Kotara, age 80, of White Deer, went away to Heaven on December 1, 2025.

A rosary will be said Monday, December 8, 2025, at 6:30 PM at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in White Deer. The funeral mass will be held on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at 10:00 AM at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Celebrants will be Father Mitch Przepiora and Father Ryan Winger.

Betty Rae was born on May 3, 1945, in Amarillo to her parents, Aloysius Frank and Petronella Gordzelik Britten. Born into a proud farming family, she remained rooted in that life. She married David Brown on February 17, 1971, and together they were blessed with two children, Heather and Kevin. She was an exceptionally devoted wife and mother.

Betty Rae embraced every aspect of farm life- especially her beloved chickens—and found joy in growing, producing, and harvesting. She was fearless in everything she did with the lighthearted exception of her well-known aversion to mice.

In 1988, she was preceded in death by David, a loss that brought profound change. With resilience and determination, Betty Rae took on the tremendous responsibilities of completing the farming duties left to her, and stepping into the workforce outside the home for the first time in many years all while raising her children, maintaining her home and meeting the many challenges that came with becoming a widow at a young age.

She found love again after meeting John Alden Kotara III, and the two were married on August 12, 1995. Betty Rae was the epitome of a devoted homemaker and farm wife. She did whatever needed to be done to ensure John’s success- never hesitating to plow, plant, or harvest right alongside him. She also worked as a substitute in the White Deer ISD and a teller at the bank in White Deer until her retirement.

Betty Rae was known far and wide for her remarkable cooking. Sharing food was truly her love language. From coffee cakes, chicken and dumplings, and apple pies to her famous chocolate cakes, she was considered by many to be the best cook in the county. She also loved to garden and could grow the most beautiful flowers and produce, tending each plant with the same care she gave to those she loved.

She was deeply involved and devoted to her church, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, serving on the Altar Society and stepping in wherever she was needed. The only thing more important to her was her family. She delighted in being a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and she was happiest when her family was gathered.

Betty Rae was a beautiful, loving, and kind soul with a servant’s heart for others. Always “dressed to the nines” her smile and presence will be forever missed.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her first husband David; her sisters and brothers in law, Willie and Jack Barnett and Carol and James Stroope; and by her brother, Maynard “Sonny” Britten.

Betty Rae is survived by her husband of thirty years, John Alden; her daughter, Heather Brown; her son, Kevin Brown and his wife Kara; John’s children whom she considered her very own, John Alden Kotara IV, Karla Kotara, Tracy Kotara and wife Michelle, and Kalina “Daisy” Anderson and husband Rick, her sister-in-law Deanya Britten; five grandchildren, John Jarett V and his wife Lindsay, Haili, Alexis, Raelin and Alden; and four great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family suggests memorials be made to the Texas Alzheimer’s Association  see link below or Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 613 Main St, White Deer, TX 79097