Betty Virginia Dicken

Betty Virginia Ewing Dicken, a longtime matriarch of music and recovery in the Dallas metro area, passed away peacefully Wednesday, May 13.

Born in Sinton on August 7, 1940 to parents Ferdinand and Virginia Ewing, Betty had an endearing Southern drawl that textured her many conversations with friends, family, and anyone with whom she spent more than five minutes. Vibrant and gregarious, Betty was known to make friends with anyone serving her coffee, sitting next to her on the plane, or ringing up her groceries. Her family came to work it into their estimated departure times for any given situation. “It’ll be a minute. Mom made a friend,” became a commonly accepted phrase.

Betty married Lewis Johnson in 1962 and had two children, Virginia “Ginna” Johnson and Lewis “Trey” Johnson III. She also inherited a lifelong familial bond with the Johnson family, with whom she’d spend many Christmas celebrations in Waco even after she had remarried. Once Betty was in your life, she was part of yours forever.

Betty raised her children to love deeply and in many ways. Ginna devoted herself to her two daughters, Devyn and Karamie, fostering the same kind of relationship she had with her own mom — one that blended the roles of parent and best friend. Trey married his high school sweetheart, Jen, and, with Betty and Jen as his muses, elevated the Dallas music scene, first as a performer for bands Sorta and SPAM, and then as a co-founder for State Fair Records.

No matter how much love she passed on, however, there was always more to go around. In 1985, she took in two more children, James and Scott Ewing, after her brotherand sister-in-law passed away unexpectedly. Six and two, respectively, at the time, the boys were quick to call her “Mom” and survived an unthinkable situation with the love and care of the family matriarch.

Betty took an early interest in helping people suffering from addiction. While not afflicted with the disease herself, Betty flourished in a service-based way of living and helped countless numbers of individuals over the years, whether through Teen Contact, a non-crisis hotline offering around-the-clock support for adolescents, or by connecting people with rehabilitation facilities in her nearly three decades with The Meadows.

Through her work at Teen Contact, she met Robert Dicken, who had gotten sober in 1985 and had joined the team to use his experience to help others. A new love was born and Betty and Bob married in 1995.

After retiring from The Meadows in 2017, Betty started a nonprofit for artists and musicians in recovery. Having watched the scene up close via her son Trey, Betty saw a unique struggle occurring among those for whom art could save, but who, through their pursuit of art, found themselves in situations where alcohol and drugs were prevalent. Artists and Musicians in Recovery qualified for 501c3 status in 2018 and held its first event that spring. Signature, held at Unity of Dallas, was a celebration of lives saved and molded by art. The conference room transformed into a gathering spot for poets and spoken-word performers. An alleyway wound its way around thedining hall, lined with tables displaying paintings, sketches, mixed media works and unique photography. The sanctuary became a concert hall, with performances ranging from career magicians to those just finding their way back to music. The 2018 event brought together more than 450 artists and celebrantsand grew to more than 600 attendees the following year.

In many ways, Signature was the natural crescendo of the melody that was Betty’s life. It overflowed with creativity, welcomed all with open arms, promised new beginnings. It was a celebration of what makes us feel alive, a gratitude Betty proved time and time again, from her cards in perfect cursive to her “Decade of the 80’s” list, activities she designed to continue to fully engage with life as she entered her ninth decade on Earth. It included activities like riding a motorcycle and getting a tattoo (both of which she did). Betty had a love for life and lived a life of love. Whether you were a co-worker, family by blood or by marriage, or someone just trying to put their life back together, Betty made sure you felt a sense of belonging and a closeness to her heart. It is a love that will endure even as she departs this world into the loving arms of her late husband, her son, and her brother.

Betty is preceded in death by her husband Robert Dicken, her son Trey Johnson, her brother Bill Ewing, and her nephew Charles Ewing. She is survived by her daughter Ginna Johnson and her partner ShawnJohnson, her sons James Ewing and Scott Ewing, her daughters-in-law Jen Johnson and Paula Lehman-Ewing, and six grandchildren: Karamie, Devyn, Dylan, Will, Isaac and Charley.

A celebration of Betty’s life is scheduled for Thursday, June 18, 2026 at Unity of Dallas (6525 Forest Ln, Dallas, TX 75230). Service will be held at 6pm in the sanctuary (doors open at 5:30pm) with a reception to follow in the Fellowship Hall. Attendees are encouraged to embrace the art of life as Betty did by dressing in colorful attire.

Betty, we’ll love you forever and ever. Pinky promise.