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If you’ve traveled in or out of Friedman Memorial Airport in the last six years, there’s a good chance you’ve bumped into Betty Grant. Betty has been a critical part of the Fly Sun Valley Alliance (FSVA) team, collecting passenger surveys during our busiest times. Her job was to greet both incoming and outgoing travelers with a warm “hello” and ask them to fill out the FSVA survey. (If you’ve ever met Betty, you know she’s quite the fireball and a perfect fit for the job.) After six great years in the role, Betty has decided to retire so she can spend more time with family and friends, and enjoy doing the things she loves here in the Wood River Valley.

Betty first moved to Sun Valley in 1956, when she was offered a job as a nurse. Although she had already spent a bit of time in the West and knew it would likely be the place she’d ultimately call home, she first wanted to do some exploring and be certain what her heart really wanted. So, she made a wild trip to Mexico, spent some time back at home in Minnesota, and took a ski trip to Europe. But Sun Valley still called out to her; her future husband, Bill Grant, was persistent in his efforts to offer her a job and encouraged her and her sister to move back to the area.

Betty and Bill were married in 1963. Bill was an avid outdoorsman and a hard worker. As Betty recalls, life with Bill was “busy, exciting, and we worked like crazy.” From her time working at the Welcome Wagon to opening the first Sears Roebuck Catalog store to flipping homes, Betty and Bill rarely slowed down. Through it all, the couple raised six daughters, moved numerous times, made great family memories, traveled to many wonderful places, and skied religiously during the winter months. Betty was an amazing skier – see the photos below for proof!

Betty will be greatly missed at the airport – especially her smile and her enthusiasm for the job. We’re confident this isn’t goodbye; it’s just “see you soon!”

Betty taking surveys at Friedman Memorial Airport

Betty with Leslie Silva at Friedman Memorial Airport

Betty Skiing at Sun Valley Idaho

Betty and her husband Bill

Betty with her family at Redfish Lake