In Loving Memory of Richard A. Bettis (1947-2025)
After an extended illness, Rich went to his eternal home in perfect peace on 1/22/25 in Nashville, TN, at the age of 77. The son of Charles and Sara (Secrest) Bettis, he was born and raised in Portsmouth, OH. He is survived by his loving wife Debbie and children Matthew (Pam, and children Connor and Anna) Bettis, of Atlanta, GA; Kimberly (and son Joshua) Bettis, of Nashville; “adopted” daughter Songcui Hu, of Tuscon, AZ; and brother James Bettis, of Atlanta.
Rich’s zeal for learning and his parents’ dream of his being the first in the family to attend college led him to Ohio State University for a degree in engineering physics which he financed by working five summers of highway construction. That degree was a milestone which marked the beginning of an extraordinary academic and professional journey. After a five year engineering career he obtained an MBA and a subsequent PhD in Business Policy from the University of Michigan. He held faculty positions at Tulane University and SMU before holding a chair as the Ellison Distinguished Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of NC for 30 years. His passion for teaching earned him teaching awards from early in his career, after which his scholarly passion expanded to research for which he also received awards. He served extensively in leadership roles in his professional organizations and became a founding member and president of the Strategic Management Society. In addition to developing a significant publication record of his own, he served on editorial boards of several refereed journals including a combined tenure of 21 years as associate editor and co-editor of his area’s flagship Strategic Management Journal.
He cherished his wife, children, and grandchildren; was faithful to Christ and to His church; and was a devoted and tireless mentor to countless doctoral students and junior colleagues. He cared deeply about others and generosity flowed from his tender heart for anyone suffering or in need. Rich was a trustworthy man of honor and integrity. His love of reading afforded him deep knowledgeability of many subjects and enough knowledge of others that he could converse meaningfully with anyone and he enjoyed friendships with as many custodians and other support personnel as with academics, managers, and CEOs. The breadth of his interests and lifelong pursuit of knowledge shaped the development of his core beliefs and values. These included a love for history, from which his deep sense of patriotism sprang. He loved thinking and engaging in conceptual discussions. His remarkable self-discipline and time management enabled him to carry an overload of projects and responsibilities while prioritizing time for family and physical fitness. His favorite hobby was fly fishing and he loved wading in mountain streams for the beauty and serenity as much as for the catch. He was known for his quick and delightful sense of humor. Rich was humble—never proud or boastful—except about his children, grandchildren, and students. He will be sorely missed but many are better for his influence and his family takes solace from their faithful assurance that his mind and body have not only been restored but perfected.