Bette Jean Orlando, 91 of Los Banos died on Thursday, April 6, 2017 after a short illness. Bette was born on February 7, 1926, to Joseph and Josephine Orlando, the seventh of nine children. She attended local schools, graduating from Los Banos High School (then Westside Union High) in 1949. In 1951 she enlisted in the US Navy as a Wave. She was stationed at Great Lakes, Illinois, Barber Point, Hawaii, Jacksonville, Florida and many stations in California including the new facility at Lemoore. (Bette was the 8th Wave to check in there.) While stationed at Treasure Island in the Personnel Office she handled discharge and re-enlistment.
She helped many Los Banos sailors avoid long lines so that they were able to receive their pay promptly upon discharge and return to their families. They were always grateful. While in Corpus Christi in 1973 she retired from the Navy, having served with the Waves for 22 years and having received many honors and citations as well as letters from then President
Nixon. Upon returning home she lived with and looked after her mother Josephine Orlando.
She worked for Los Banos Community Hospital from 1974 to 1997. Throughout her life she remained very involved with her large family and many friends.
She was active in many local organizations especially Veterans.
Bette always considered herself a WAVE. She loved her fellow veterans and was very active in the VFW. She paid her dues religiously and was always a winner at Bingo. Everyone who knew her will especially remember how much fun she was to be around: she had a great memory for jokes and a real talent for making a good story better. Bette is survived by two sisters: Mary J. Johnson of Roseburg, Oregon and Dorothy Carlucci of Modesto, California and by her two sisters-in-law Germaine Orlando of Los Banos, and Pat Orlando of Santa Maria, California, and many loving nieces and nephews. Bette was preceded in death by her parents and six siblings. Services will be held on Friday, May 12 at Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church with a rosary at 10:00 am, and a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 am. There will be a Color Guard ceremony at San Joaquin National Cemetery at 12:30 pm with a reception following at 2:00 pm at the VFW Hall at 615 E Street in Los Banos. Donations may be made to VFW Los Banos,
St Jude Children’s Research Hospital or charity of choice.