Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Ann Dowell

Published 11:46 am Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Ann Dowell

June 5, 1931 – July 2, 2024

Betty Dowell, 93, of Bend, OR, was born June 5, 1931, to Gwyeth Thorndike Smith and Mary Margaret Wortman in Greenville, ME. She died on Tuesday, July 2nd, 2024, at her home, surrounded by family, from heart complications. Betty graduated from Boston University in 1952, where she met her husband, Ted. She graduated with a degree in Physics and was married in 1953 in Brunswick ME. She and Ted then moved to Norfolk VA, where Ted served on the battleship USS Missouri during the Korean War. Upon Ted’s return in 1954, the couple moved to Salem OR, and then Madras OR, where Ted was a Teacher and Betty a part-time substitute teacher and homemaker, raising their three children, Scott, Lynn, and Jeff. In 1964, the family left Madras OR and moved to Bend OR, where Betty became an accomplished substitute teacher in the Bend Public School system. Ted accepted a Professorship at Central Oregon Community College, where he was Dean of the Mathematics department. In 1975, Ted left academia and started ‘TMD Knives’, handcrafting hunting and fishing knives in the early years, and later, ornate custom art knives, some of which are in the Smithsonian Institute. From the inception of the business in 1970 to its closure in 2010, Betty was a force of nature behind the business operations, handling of all purchasing, inventory management, accounting, correspondence, promotions, and travel logistics for the company. The level of detail and scope of her documentation of the business was as comprehensive and complete as anyone could imagine. During this same period, Betty was also a full-time homemaker for her husband and her children. Betty’s work accomplishments at TMD Knives and the couples’ ground-breaking efforts in getting the Knifemakers Guild established in the industry’s early days earned her the Guilds coveted Nate Posner Award in 2015, for contributions ‘above and beyond’ to the Guild and the Custom Knifemaking industry as a whole. In 2024, a month before Betty’s passing, Ted Dowell (and by association, Betty Dowell) was inducted into the Knifemakers Hall of Fame, an honor bestowed upon just 74 individuals worldwide. It was the crowning touch to a well deserving couple. When not involved with the knife business, Betty enjoyed cooking, and baked a wide variety of breads, cookies and holiday treats for family and friends. She was also well known throughout her neighborhood for arriving unannounced, with a freshly baked ‘gift’ from some ‘left over’ dough she had. Many of those same recipient neighbors became part of Betty’s ‘support village’ in her later years, returning the favor(s). Betty is survived by her sister Nancy Brackett (Brunswick ME) and Gwyeth Smith (Long Island NY), daughter Lynn Dowell-Peterson (spouse Lynn Peterson of Denver, CO) and son Jeff Dowell (spouse Pat Dowell of Bend, OR), and grandchildren Brian and Tara, as well as her great grandchildren Carolyn, Jack and Mack. She is preceded in death by son Scott and husband Ted. A celebration of life for both Betty and Ted Dowell will be held in Bend later this year. Contributions should be made out to: Partners In Care, and mailed to: Partners In Care, Attn: Development, 2075 NE Wyatt Ct, Bend, OR 97701.