Mrs. Elizabeth (Betty) Freas King, age 95 years, died on December 25, 2010, Christmas Day, at Asbury Solomons-Island Health Care Center. She was born in Washington, D.C. on August 16, 1915.

As a child she lived in Glendale, MD, Hartford, CT & Darnestown, MD. She attended Montgomery Blair High School for a year & transferred to Gaithersburg High School, graduating in 1934. Following high school, she apprenticed with Edna Rainey in cosmetology in Kensington, MD & worked at Bill's Beauty & Barber Shop in Rockville, MD & Ruth's Beauty Salon in Gaithersburg, MD.

In 1940 she married Donald G. King of Gaithersburg, whom she had dated for nine years prior to marriage. In 1946, they moved to Gaithersburg, living there until 2004.

In 1951, Betty opened her own business, Betty's Beauty Salon. She was in business for fifty-nine years. Betty also opened the first Beauty Shop at Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, MD which was a closet sized space. There are now several beauty shops on the Asbury campus. She did the hair of her first Client, Ms. Winnie Allen, for over 59 years, until Ms. Allen's death at the age of 103.

She was a member & officer in the Gaithersburg Businessmen's Association, Charter member & Past President of The Soroptimist International Club of Upper Montgomery County, Pythian Sisters, Grace United Methodist Church in Gaithersburg, MD, Emmanuel United Methodist Church in Huntingtown, MD & Neeld Estate Citizen's Association.

She & her husband Donald, appeared as Mr. & Mrs. Santa for thirty plus years for the City of Gaithersburg, state wide schools, churches, service clubs, nursing homes, MD School of the Blind as well as The Washington Redskins Childrens Christmas Party. She also performed at many schools, service clubs & business functions with a group called Miss Donna & Her Misses, a comedy routine. The money raised from these performances benefited Montgomery General Hospital.

In 1998, she moved to Asbury Methodist Village, living there for five & one half years, prior to transferring to Asbury Solomons Island at Solomons, MD, with her husband, Donald, where they resided for six years. Betty & Donald were married for 70 years in January of 2010.

In September of 2010, at the age of 95, Betty opened her new venture, Betty's Clothes Closet at Asbury Solomon'sIsland, a consignment clothes shop for residents of the Continuing Care Retirement Community, with all of the proceeds going to the benevolent care fund to assist those who have outlived their funds. Betty was written up in The Washington Post newspaper, the Calvert County Recorder, newspaper & The Bay Weekly newspaper in August of 2010 prior to the opening of the consignment shop which was named after her.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Effie Magruder Freas & Edward Hayes Freas, & her husband, Donald G. King, who died in May of 2010. She was also preceded in death by her cousins Helen Hayes & James MacArthur of whom she was always proud of their achievements on the stage, theatre & film.

She is survived by her children, Sandra King Geest (Jay) of Huntingtown, MD, and Donald Wayne King (Ginger) of Germantown, MD; three grandchildren, Steven Geest, Patrick King and Katherine King Mangus, two step-children, Amy Savage and Jenny Savage, and three great grandchildren, Kyle King, Austin Mangus & Dylan Mangus.

Memorial Services will be held on January 10, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at Asbury Methodist Village, Guild Memorial Chapel, 211 Russell Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, & January 12, 2010 at 1:30 p.m. at Asbury Solomons Island, Auditorium, 11100 Asbury Circle, Solomons, MD. Inurnment will be at Darnestown Presbyterian Church, Gaithersburg, MD 20878.

Donations in her memory can be made to The Asbury-Solomons Island Foundation- memo line, Betty's Clothes Closet, Asbury-Solomons Island Foundation Office, 11100 Asbury Circle, Solomons, MD 20688.

Arrangements provided by Rausch Funeral Home, P.A., Lusby, MD.