A Life Story

On September 1, Bette B. Anderson Wood of Savannah, Georgia passed away at the age of 95 years old.She will be lovingly remembered by her daughter, Sue (Charlie) Strickland; grandchildren Ashley (Chris) Freeman and Sara Jane (Ryan) Stroupe; great-grandchildren, Hadley Kate Stroupe, Anderson Freeman and Hayes Stroupe; stepdaughter Susan Wood; and numerous other family members and friends.Bette was predeceased by her husband of 25 years, Richard; stepson, Greg; brother, Brooks; her first husband and Sue's father, George Anderson and half-siblings, Ellis, Euena and Elmore.Mrs. Anderson Wood was born and raised in Stilson, Georgia to Burl and Melrose Beasley. She attended Georgia Teachers College (Georgia Southern University) and received certification from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University.Mrs. Anderson Wood was the first woman to be named Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. She was nominated to that position under Jimmy Carter. As Under Secretary she worked to introduce the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin. The Bette B. Anderson Scholarship at Georgia Southern University was established in 1984 to memorialize these achievements.Before becoming the Under Secretary, Mrs. Anderson Wood was affiliated for twenty-seven years with The Citizens and Southern National Bank of Savannah where she served as Vice President and was the first female member of The Chatham Club in downtown Savannah, Georgia.Following her tenure at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Mrs. Anderson Wood formed Anderson, Benjamin and Reed Consulting and served on the Board of Directors of HealthExtras, ITT Corporation, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, The Hartford Financial Services Group, and United Payers & Providers. In addition to her board memberships, Bette was a partner at Kelly, Anderson, Petchick & Associates, a Management Consulting firm.Upon retiring to Savannah, Georgia, Bette served on the Board of Directors of the Bethesda Academy.A funeral service will be held on Thursday, September 12, 2024 at 11 a.m., at Good Shepherd Savannah, 22 Rose Avenue, Savannah, Georgia 31406. A visitation will be held prior to the service in the Sanctuary.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in memory of Bette to Hospice Savannah (1352 Eisenhower Drive, Savannah, GA 31406) or One Love Animal Rescue (463 Johnny Mercer Blvd, Ste B7 #142, Savannah, Georgia 31410).The family wishes to send a special thank you to Bette's caregivers, Chiqua Mincey, Crystal Portner and Nicole Boyd and to the staff at Hospice Savannah for their care and compassion.