Betty Smith Hogge passed away on April 5, 2019. At her side were her daughter Sherri Smith Reid of Hampton and her son Raymond Lee Hogge Jr of Norfolk. She was preceded in death by her husband, Raymond Lee Hogge, her son Charles Smith, and her brother William Houpt, all of Hampton. She is survived by her daughter, her son, and her daughter-in-law Lauri Hogge of Norfolk, and six grandchildren, Chuck Smith of Newport News, Elizabeth Reid of Williamsburg, Kristin Reid of Tennessee, Laura Katharyn "Katie" Hogge of Arlington, Raymond Lee Hogge III of Norfolk, and Christopher Hogge of Norfolk.

Betty is best known for her dancing school, The Betty Smith School of Dance. She began her career with Douglas Hinkel of Newport News, and continued her dance training for many years in New York, under such people as Thalia Mayer. She was a member of Dance Masters of America and Dance Educators of America for many years. During the war she performed in USO shows with Bud and Cece Robinson. Betty was proud to have worked with Tom Hulcher, inventor of the Hulcher 70 High-Speed Sequence Camera for NASA. He would catch her dancing and leaping as he developed his camera. For many years Betty was a choreographer and director for the Hampton Little Theatre which later became the Peninsula Community Theatre. Her first full time job as a dance educator was for the King Street Community Center. In 2016, Betty was awarded the Unity Award by the City of Hampton for promoting diversity through the arts. Over the years she had her own studio at the YMCA on Fort Monroe, later moved her studio to downtown Hampton, and in 1985 opened The Betty Smith School of Dance, located on King Street in Hampton.

Betty was always very proud to have lived in Phoebus where her father had a grocery store on Mellen Street in the early 1900's. She was proud that his store is pictured in the Phoebus History Souvenir Book. Betty spent her later years living on Mill Creek where she loved the water, wildlife and birds. Her greatest joy in life was her grandchildren.

A funeral service will be conducted at 11:00 AM, Saturday, April 13, 2019 in the R. Hayden Smith Funeral Home chapel, 245 S. Armistead Avenue, Hampton, VA. A visitation will take place at the chapel from 10:00-11:00 AM.

Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association at Alz.org.