Betty Ann (Reisig) Daunt

Betty Ann (Reisig) Daunt passed away December 27, 2021, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She left this world the same way she lived within it-surrounded by love from the family that was her biggest joy and greatest purpose. She was a true matriarch, a caring soul who could always make you feel like a part of her family. Because of this, everyone called her Noni (the nickname given to her by her first granddaughter).

Noni was born in Saginaw, Michigan on October 9, 1937. Her parents, Reinhold Reisig and Angeline Koons, were both first-generation Americans from strong German and Polish lineages. Both sets of her grandparents had immigrated to the US in the early 1900s, and Noni carried their tenacity and work ethic with her throughout the challenges and successes of her own life. Her parents divorced when Noni was just 9 months old (a rare occurrence in the 1930s), leading Noni to be raised by her single mother and maternal grandparents, Michael and Veronika Karbowski. Throughout her childhood, Noni was adored, teased, and doted upon by her maternal aunts and uncles, teaching her a specific brand of humor-infused affection she would bestow upon her six younger siblings, as well as her own children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

She married James (Jim) L. Daunt in 1954. Early in their marriage, Jim encouraged her to reconnect with her father Reinhold, which led to his being a kind and important influence on both her and her children's lives. Noni and Jim had three children in quick succession-Janine Ann (born in 1955), Michael James (1957), and Kristine Marie (1959)-and settled into life in Saginaw as a family. Difficulty struck in the early '60s when Jim was diagnosed with tuberculosis and sent to a Michigan state hospital for a year. During this time, Noni raised her three children with the help of her father and stepmother, Helen Reisig. Her perseverance through it all showed the first glimmers of the strength she would demonstrate time and again throughout her life.

Once Jim recovered, the family relocated to the beautiful shoreline of Ormond Beach, Florida in 1966. They lived mere blocks from the beach, and the whole family became lifelong water lovers. They welcomed their youngest child, Andrea Katherine, in 1967. In the 1970s, Noni discovered her love for running, spending time jogging up and down the nearby beaches-an interest she would pursue for decades to come. She also obtained her GED during this era since she did not finish high school once she got married and had children.

Her eldest daughter, Janine, and her husband, John, welcomed their first child in 1979 and second child in 1984, forever changing the shape of her life. Betty became Noni, forevermore, and in grandmotherhood she found a new driving force. When Noni and Jim divorced in 1985, she relocated to New Mexico (where Janine and John had moved) to be closer to her grandchildren. Since she was the family anchor, the rest of her children eventually moved to Albuquerque as well, turning this beach-loving family into indisputable Southwesterners.
In New Mexico, Noni forged a life of her own, working hard to find independence, purpose, and success. She attended the massage therapy program at the School of Natural Therapeutics in Albuquerque, graduated in 1989, and became a Licensed Massage Therapist in 1992. Finding a real love (and gift!) for massage therapy, she opened a small office space within Janine and John's business Body Tek Fitness Center and quickly built a dedicated clientele through her healing touch and strong hands. She opened her own practice, Far North Natural Healing, in 1994 and continued to work miracles on her clients and family until she was 82 years old.

The latter half of her life wove a beautiful rhythm between her beloved family and her call toward adventure. She loved hot air balloons, even taking several rides up into the New

Mexican skies. She enjoyed hiking throughout the Sandia Mountains and trekked across this world with her children and grandchildren. Some of her favorite destinations were lounging beachside in Cabo San Lucas, river cruising through Europe, and visiting holy sites and small villages in Turkey. In her more still moments, she preferred relaxing by the pool-either at Kristine's house or with Andrea's family at Tanoan Country Club.

But her priority was always her grandchildren, first with Janine and John's two daughters, then later with Andrea's son and daughter. She was present and involved in their care since they were infants and would later pick them up from school or have them over for weekend sleepovers (making her famous crepes for breakfast in the morning). As the children grew and developed their own interests, Noni was always excited to witness and cheer them on. She loved attending her grandson's baseball games, watching her granddaughters' dance classes, and being included in whatever other sports or activities they were interested in at the time. She was their biggest cheerleader, at the sidelines as much as possible to show support for all four of them. When she became a great-grandmother, she was somehow able to expand that love and enthusiasm to encompass the next generation as well.

Though a knee injury and subsequent surgeries slowed her down quite a bit for her final years, Noni continued to find happiness in her family and the small pleasures of life. She loved to get a tall coffee Frappuccino from Starbucks to enjoy while she gabbed away with her daughters and granddaughters. She could talk on the phone with loved ones for hours. She adored music, singing along with confidence even if she did not actually know the lyrics. A devout lifelong Catholic who attended mass as regularly as her health allowed, her closest confidants were the Blessed Virgin Mary and her sister Chris Dennison.

Noni was preceded in death by her former husband James L. Daunt (2014), her daughter Janine Lascelles (2019), and her son Michael Daunt (2021). She is survived by her daughters Kristine Blackman (Phillip) and Andrea Kidd (Dennis); son-in-law John Lascelles; grandchildren Jenna Daunt (Brent Dell), Jade Lascelles (Mikey Muscat), James Bo Kidd, and Veronica Kidd; grandson-in-law Aladdin Gundogan; great-grandchildren Aydin Gundogan, Selma Gundogan, and Leyla Gundogan; all six of her siblings, and more nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins, and longtime friends than we could possibly count.

She may have come to this world in a small package (5 feet tall on a good day), but she had a big personality and an even bigger heart. For every ounce of bossiness, she would exude, she would double that amount in the love she would give. She was in deep connection with the humor of life-even in difficult times. All who knew her can probably conjure the sound of her laughter right now, as it was such an integral part of her being. She welcomed people into her life fully and loved immensely. She formed close relationships with her children's and grandchildren's spouses and partners as though they have always been a part of the family. She was a woman well-loved, a true original, and she will be carried in all our memories and hearts through the strength of that love. Rest well, our Noni One and Only. There is no one who will ever compare to you.

Noni will be laid to final rest with a Roman Catholic mass, officiated by Monsignor Voorhies, at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, January 18th at the Gate of Heaven Catholic Chapel (7999 Wyoming Blvd. NE). Burial will take place immediately after the mass at the Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery, followed by a light lunch at Blackman's Championship Martial Arts (5812 Signal Ave. NE). All are welcome to attend these celebrations of Noni's life. There will also be a gathering on the beaches of Florida during the summer of 2022. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate a donation to the Shriner's Hospital for Children in memoriam of Betty Daunt.