Mrs. Betty Jane Hanlon Ganung, 83, of Granite Falls, passed away on Saturday, November 18, 2023, (one day from her birthday) at College Pines in Rutherford College NC, after a period of declining health.
Mrs. Ganung was born November 19, 1939, in N.Y., the only daughter of the late Fred and Josephine Pelz Hanlon. Born and raised in NY, Betty married Frank Richard Ganung in 1957. After the birth of their three children, Betty worked for a veterinary practice where her love for animals blossomed. She became a lifetime member of the English Cocker Spaniel Club of America and developed a passion for breeding and showing English Cockers. She bred over 70 Champions and 4 Grand Champions, as well as many, many well- loved pets and companions under her kennel name of Amawalk English Cocker Spaniels. Betty and her husband Frank moved to Morganton, North Carolina in 1988 where they opened and ran Kustom Kare Kennel. They sold the business in 2003 to retire and travel across the country, later returning to North Carolina. After the death of her husband in 2009, Betty continued to enjoy travel and photography, taking many adventurous trips – even hiking Machu Picchu in her 70’s. A strong and independent woman, Betty leaves behind an amazing legacy of children, grandchildren and her beloved English Cockers.
Surviving are her three children, Sheryl Breau (Paul) of Granite Falls, Deborah Cash (Hadley) of Kernersville, NC and Richard Ganung (Judy) of Sylva, NC., and her four -footed child “Mickey”.
Also surviving are her grandchildren, Melissa, Matthew, Keith, Austin, Richard Jr., Darin, Shelby, Stephanie and great-grandchildren, Braydon, Nyla, Lily and Eliana.
Services will be private, at the convenience of the family.
Instead of flowers, memorial Donations may be made to:
Christ United Methodist Church at : www.ChristUniteddrexel.org
or English Cocker Spaniel Club Health and Rescue at : www.ecscahealthandrescue.org
The family wants to extend a sincere thank you to the staff and team members at College Pines Health and Rehab, who helped care for Betty over the last few months and Beckie Bottomley-Lenz who helped her maintain her independence prior to her admission to College Pines.
I was privileged to own and train two of her English Cocker Spaniels. Betty was a wonderful person!
My deepest condolences to Betty’s family. You all are in my prayers.
Betty’s English Cockers family will miss her but always appreciate the legacy she has left us. I’ve known Betty for over 50 years, starting with a beautiful liver roan girl Lady Ena Keeley in my dog’s pedigree. Betty was so knowledgeable about the breed and always willing to share that with others. She also was willing to share her opinion, which was appreciated even when it didn’t go the way you wanted. She wasn’t one to hold back! I admired the continued effort that Betty made to attend shows even when her health was declining. I think it also helped her stay in touch which, as we grow older, we all hope to be able to do. She was proud of her new home and shared photos of it, but it was always her beloved English Cockers and her family that she raved about. Rest in peace Betty, we’ll see you soon in Paradise
Will miss our occasional texts etc
A growing up next-door neighbor from Bedford Hills.
My deepest condolences! While I only
Knew Betty through ECS FB groups, she was a wealth of knowledge and a very kind. She will be missed by all that knew her!
So very sorry to hear that Betty passed away. Our sincere condolences to her family. My husband & her husband were police officers with the Yorktown Police Dept. Many fond memories of Betty & Frank.
I have many fond memories of Betty and her parents. My father Jim and her father Fred were brothers. She would come to our farm and we would ride horses together during the summers.
We reconnected when we moved to North Carolina in 2004 and got to visit each other several times.
You will be truly missed by everyone who crossed paths with you.
So sad for your loss. She left a great legacy and family to carry on.
Our thoughts are with Betty’s family. As the older cousin she took us under her wing. Will always remember the trip to the Bronx Zoo when we were visiting them in Bedford Hills. It was a great reunion when Betty and Sheryl visited us in Laguna Beach, California in 2019. Thankful for the memories.
A fond farwell to a Grand lady and friend, one I will never forget when you came to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island Canada it was nice to see you and Frank.
My deepest sympathy to Bethy”s family and Mickey, her beloved English Cocker! Betty will be dearly missed.
Betty was such a kind and knowledgeable woman who always loved to share any information about English Cockers . I think the last time I remember seeing was her was at Spaniel Club w/ her boy Micky .
She will be missed 🙁
Betty will always have a place on my heart. As a great person, welcoming and warm. As a mentor in the shared love for the a English cockers. My condolences to all her family.
My deepest condolences to all of Betty’s family, and also to her many friends from all over.
Betty entrusted my late husband Michael, and myself, when she gave our beautiful little Oliver to us 7 years ago. We raised him and showed him, and he became one of her Amawalk Grand Champions. She was so pleased about that. Sired by Lisa Ross’s ‘Hayden’, and Betty’s ‘Trilby’ our ‘Oliver’ American Grand Champion ‘AMAWALK’S HAY HARVEST BREEZE’ continues to give me great joy, and is a mirror image of both of his blue roan tan gorgeous parents.
I shall forever be grateful for Betty’s true mentorship and advice, that led to a lovely friendship with her.
Rest in perfect peace, my dear sweet friend. You will be sorely missed, but you have truly earned your blessed reunion with your savior. Your friend Kathie Ropele (Florida) and ‘Oliver’
Sad to learn of Betty’s passing. “Tempy” and I wish her sweet rest.
In 1995, we were looking for an English Cocker Spaniel and she was the ECSCA contact in our area. She talked with us for over a year. Finally, we drove to her home and brought home our 1st ECS- Amawalk’s Calamity Jane (Cally). She encouraged me to learn more about the breed, to attend shows, and after a few years and a few more ECSs, I was in the ring showing my/our dogs. We traveled together to shows and she would stay up to the wee hours of the night editing the photos she took during the day. She would sit ringside for hours and could tell you the pedigree of almost every dog in the ring. She was a wealth of knowledge and always happy to share! We lived fairly close to each other and visited each other often. Betty was a cherished friend and I will miss her terribly. Rest well Betty. I know you are smiling down at “our” GCH Amawalk’s Goin’ On a Hay Ride(Wally), CH Amawalk’s I’m Makin’ Waves(Willow) and Wally son CH Bellamare’s River of Dreams.