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Mae was born in Honolulu and was the 6th of the 14 children of Robert Manley Ka'ia Levy, Sr. and Clara Spencer. When she was a child, the family moved to Homestead land in Nanakuli. In 1943, Mae married Klyne E. Bettis of Iowa, who was stationed with the Navy at Pearl Harbor, and, after he was transferred back to Iowa, they welcomed their daughter, Barbara, who was soon followed by a son, Danny. Several years later, after a divorce, Mae and her children returned to Hawai'i and to Nanakuli and she worked as a civilian federal employee cleaning housing at Pearl Harbor and other military installations. In 1960, Mae married Charles (Al) Duford, a nuclear submarine inspector at Pearl Harbor, and the two lived together on Papaoneone Beach at Makaha for 36 years. One of her passions was gardening and she was particularly interested in raising orchids, having some 200 at one point. After Al's death in 1997, Mae remained at their home for another several years before moving to Honolulu. There, she enjoyed an active life with friends, as well as taking hula and ukulele lessons. Because of advancing dementia, Mae moved to the Gaylord Adult Residential Care Home in Honolulu and the family thanks Wannette Gaylord and her staff for the care and attention they gave to her during her final two years. Mae was a kind, gentle, generous and loyal daughter, sibling, mother, auntie, cousin and friend. When her husband Al had a stroke, she kept him at home and took care of him for almost a decade, which is a wonderful example of her devotion to her ohana. Mae, who was also predeceased by her son Danny, is survived by two sisters, Clara Jellings (who turned 103 last month) and Evelyn Apicerno, a brother, Arvel Levy, daughter Barbara Bettis, daughter-in-law Maureen Bettis, grandchildren Paul (Natalie) Spitzzeri, Tara Spitzzeri, and Lani (Mark) Melo; great-grandchildren Julian and Adrian Spitzzeri and Malia Melo; and many nieces, nephews and their families. Mae's ashes will be spread at sea off her beloved Papaoneone Beach and Mount Lahilahi at Makaha at a date to be determined. E ho'omaha 'o ia me ka maluhia.
Mae was born in Honolulu and was the 6th of the 14 children of Robert Manley Ka'ia Levy, Sr. and Clara Spencer. When she was a child, the family moved to Homestead land in Nanakuli. In 1943, Mae married Klyne E. Bettis of Iowa, who was stationed with the Navy at Pearl Harbor, and, after he was transferred back to Iowa, they welcomed their daughter, Barbara, who was soon followed by a son, Danny. Several years later, after a divorce, Mae and her children returned to Hawai'i and to Nanakuli and she worked as a civilian federal employee cleaning housing at Pearl Harbor and other military installations. In 1960, Mae married Charles (Al) Duford, a nuclear submarine inspector at Pearl Harbor, and the two lived together on Papaoneone Beach at Makaha for 36 years. One of her passions was gardening and she was particularly interested in raising orchids, having some 200 at one point. After Al's death in 1997, Mae remained at their home for another several years before moving to Honolulu. There, she enjoyed an active life with friends, as well as taking hula and ukulele lessons. Because of advancing dementia, Mae moved to the Gaylord Adult Residential Care Home in Honolulu and the family thanks Wannette Gaylord and her staff for the care and attention they gave to her during her final two years. Mae was a kind, gentle, generous and loyal daughter, sibling, mother, auntie, cousin and friend. When her husband Al had a stroke, she kept him at home and took care of him for almost a decade, which is a wonderful example of her devotion to her ohana. Mae, who was also predeceased by her son Danny, is survived by two sisters, Clara Jellings (who turned 103 last month) and Evelyn Apicerno, a brother, Arvel Levy, daughter Barbara Bettis, daughter-in-law Maureen Bettis, grandchildren Paul (Natalie) Spitzzeri, Tara Spitzzeri, and Lani (Mark) Melo; great-grandchildren Julian and Adrian Spitzzeri and Malia Melo; and many nieces, nephews and their families. Mae's ashes will be spread at sea off her beloved Papaoneone Beach and Mount Lahilahi at Makaha at a date to be determined. E ho'omaha 'o ia me ka maluhia.
Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased
