Betty Dudley Brown Mobley

Betty Dudley Brown Mobley, 87, died peacefully at home shortly after noon on Saturday, May 23. Betty was born in Utica to Robert and Laura Brown on December 23, 1938, in the home they shared on White Oak Street with her grandmother, Minnie Dudley and great grandmother, Laura Lum.

Betty's early childhood years were spent in Utica until her father was appointed by Governor Tom Bailey in 1944 to be superintendent of the Mississippi School for the Deaf on West Capitol Street in Jackson. She often shared fond memories of playing in the old cavernous institutional buildings with her four brothers and friends which had been in use since the early 1900s. Big changes came for the Brown family in 1951, when the new deaf school opened on Eastover Drive. With plenty of extended family still in Utica, Betty was a frequent visitor. On one visit, a young man caught her eye while at a portable skating rink which had been temporarily set up near the location of the old Sunflower grocery store. A spark was lit and a courtship began with R.C. Mobley making a good impression as a well-mannered and hardworking young man on her parents and Dudley family at the Jitney Jungle.

Betty graduated from Murrah High School in 1957, and began attending Belhaven College. All the while R.C. was keeping the road between Utica and Jackson well worn in his shiny red and white 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air. On December 28, 1958, Betty and R.C. were married in the superintendent's residence at the deaf school. They began their 61-year marriage in the home R.C. had built for them on the hill where he had grown up. Life was good and by 1960, their first child, Laura Leigh was born and a son, Robert Coleman Jr. in 1962.

Betty came from a long line of outstanding cooks and her skills in the kitchen were greatly appreciated by her family, church members and anyone who happened to be on the receiving end of any dish that she produced. Betty loved trying new recipes but also had a genuine reverence for the tried and true traditional favorites that had been passed down from all branches of the family. She expressed love through food and truly possessed a gift with her skills and fearlessness in the kitchen. Christmas was her time to shine and no one delivered a more heartfelt celebratory holiday than Betty Mobley.

Betty had been raised Presbyterian, then joined Utica Christian Church after marriage and attended throughout her life. She enjoyed serving her church and did so both in the church kitchen and in administrative and clerical capacities throughout her life and counted the congregation and clergy there among her closest lifelong friends.  

Betty enjoyed traveling the world with R.C. on numerous Farm Bureau sponsored trips through his work. They loved visiting many exotic destinations, but were always happiest when coming home to family. Betty and R.C. treasured being grandparents and as the family expanded, they spent many happy times attending theatre and dance performances, and partying with them around the firepit or the Christmas tree. Betty loved the outdoor deck that R.C. had built for her and valued spending time there even up until the last of her days.

Betty is survived by her children; Laura Mobley-Coughran (Kevin) of Utica and Robert C. Mobley Jr. (Vicky) of Bloomington, Indiana, five grandchildren; Preston Williams (Charlene) of Madison, Erin McLeod (Tommy) of Birmingham, Alabama, Evan Hutson of Glacier, Montana, Robert C. Mobley III of Jersey City, New Jersey and Laura Vazquez (Lucas) of Clermont, Florida, six great grandchildren; Sophie, Lily, Thomas, Laura Jane, Nora and Theo, and numerous nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her brothers Bob Brown (Margaret) of Madison and Richard Brown of Columbia, Louisiana. Betty was preceded in death by her husband, R.C. Mobley in 2020, and her parents, Robert S. Brown in 1985, and Laura Dudley Brown in 2001, and brothers, Ben Brown in 2006, and Bill Brown in 2021.

A memorial service will be held at Utica Christian Church, Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 11:00 AM, with visitation 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM.

Memorials may be made to Utica Christian Church, 316 E. Main Street, Utica, MS 39175.

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