Richard Betts

Richard "Rick" Betts, age 67, of Carlisle, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, December 25, 2016 at his residence.
He was born April 12, 1949 in Towanda, PA to the late Frederick K. and Yvonne (Kershner) Betts.
Rick retired from the Office of Domestic Relations and was Past President of the Domestic Relations Association. He was an audiophile, music lover, sports aficionado and military historian.
Rick Betts was a dedicated public servant providing financial protection to the children his office was responsible for by carrying out and enforcing the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Rick began his career in Bradford County Domestic Relations and worked there from 1979-1981. He eventually secured a position with Cumberland County Domestic Relations and started there on December 7, 1981 and continued to serve there until his retirement on April 4, 2014.
Shortly after going to work in the department, Rick was appointed the Director by the President Judge of Cumberland County. He immediately became involved with the Domestic Relations Association of Pennsylvania (DRAP)and served on the board from 1988 until 2014 and also as its President from 1996-1998. During this time as DRAP President Rick was responsible for successfully piloting the new statewide computer system for the Commonwealth. The Pa Child Support Enforcement System (PACSES) has since become the standard of excellence across the country. He was the PACSES coordinator from 1996-2001. During implementation, Rick was never afraid to continue to move forward, even under enormous pressure to delay implementation. Rick showed great leadership, determination and courage in ensuring the successful implementation of the new system. He was the DRAP representative to the County Commissioner Association for 4 years during his time on the Board. Rick also chaired numerous other committees including the Annual Conference Committee, the "County 8" and the IVA-IVD committee.
In 1999 Rick was awarded the highest honor in the area of child support for the Commonwealth of PA when he received the Robert Stewart Award. In 2014 Rick was awarded with an honorary Lifetime Achievement Membership to the DRAP organization.
The thousands of children Rick never met were the beneficiaries of his dedicated service. He will be missed by his colleagues and friends, many of whom he was faithful to for over a quarter of a century.
He is survived by his wife Lisa (Wright) Betts of Carlisle; sons, Daeron and Justin Betts; sisters, Cherie (and husband Jimmy) Ruais and Rebecca (and husband Joe) Bucci; and numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Rick was preceded in death by a sister, Diane.
Memorial services will be held at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Carlisle, 201 W Louther St, Carlisle, PA 17013, on Friday April 7, 2017 at 1:00 pm, with Pastor Robert Moore officiating. Hoffman Funeral Home & Crematory, 2020 W. Trindle Road, Carlisle, PA is handling the arrangements. To sign the guestbook, please visit www.HoffmanFH.com