Betty Jean Loncaric

Dollar Tree lost its most loyal customer on Saturday, May 5th, 2018, when Betty Jean (Ventura) Loncaric passed away peacefully in her home, surrounded by her family and more than one Elvis Presley cardboard cutout. Betty’s sense of humor and outspoken demeanor were gifts from her parents, Samuel & Betty Ventura (deceased), whom she was born to on October 10, 1954, in Hialeah, Florida. Growing up alongside siblings Ronnie and Evelyn Wade (deceased), and Samuel Ventura and Katherine Phillips, she quickly realized that she was her parents’ favorite (a trait that some would say she later passed on to her firstborn child). Betty went on to wed her childhood friend and neighbor, David Loncaric on April 15, 1977, making Tax Day the most romantic day of all. They spent forty-one years together and produced two children, Melissa Loncaric Miller (Noah) and David Loncaric, Jr. (Wendy). Davie made Betty’s dream of becoming a Nana reality when he brought two granddaughters into the picture, thus becoming Betty’s favorite. She would argue that Alahna and Raegan were the greatest, smartest and most adorable children in the history of the world. A Girl Scout Leader for nine years, at one point, Betty had over sixty girls in her troop. She lived by their rule to always leave a place better than you found it. Whether it was feeding someone who needed it, giving them a place to stay, or just a shoulder to cry on, she was there – with no hesitation or questions asked. A huge supporter of Children’s Miracle Network, she got her children involved in fundraising very early on in their lives. They willingly participated, in part because they weren’t old enough to drive away to do something more fun. Betty was also the biggest Elvis fan you’d ever meet. She worked at Sam’s Club for twenty eight years in Member Services. Her smiling face and sarcastic sense of humor won people over instantly, and she became friends with nearly every person who entered the doors. She adored her co-workers, who became more like family. She adored when the club put their baby clothes on clearance even more. We invite everyone whose life was made brighter by this purple-wearing, Elvis-loving woman with a heart of gold, to join us for a celebration of her life on Thursday, May 10th, 2018, at the Palo Alto Church of Christ in Panama City at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions for nursing care for Betty's husband can be made at HelpMel.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Betty Jean Loncaric, please visit our floral store.