Elizabeth J. "Bette" Varga

Elizabeth J. "Bette" Varga

August 25, 1929 - March 7, 2026

Elizabeth J. "Bette" Varga passed away peacefully into God's loving aims on March 7, 2026, at Wellbrooke of South Bend. She was 96 years old.

Bette was born on August 25, 1929, in Francesville, Indiana, to Donald C. and Lillian (Tiede) Boulden. When she was six, her family moved to Winamac, Indiana, where she grew up and graduated from Winamac High School in 1947. During her high school years, she proudly served as a "Yell Leader" for the Winamac Warriors.

After high school, Bette moved to South Bend to attend the South Bend College of Commerce. There she met her future husband, Thomas J. Varga. Bette's classmate and cousin Carol Tiede, along with their classmate Lois Shrader, also met their future husbands during this time. The three couples reported that they shared a couple of very fun and carefree years together.

After graduating with associate degrees in accounting, Bette and Tom were married on October 15, 1949. They began their married life in Baltimore, where Tom started his career with Associates Savings and Loan, while Bette worked as a bookkeeper at a men's clothing store.

Tom's career brought the family to several Indiana communities. Their first son, Tom, was born in South Bend in 1953. The family later moved to Frankfort, where their daughter Terri was born in 1957, and then to Evansville, where son Chad was born in 1958. In 1963, they returned to South Bend, where their son Paul was born and where the family established their lifelong home. Bette and Tom built their house in Highland Estates in 1964, which became a wonderful community of young families surrounding their parish, Corpus Christi Catholic Church. They shared more than 60 years there, until Tom's passing in 2009. Together they built a life centered on family, faith, and devotion to one another.

Above all, Bette was a hardworking, practical, and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She took great pride in her family and strongly encouraged her children's educations and pursuits. A reader herself, she faithfully read to each of her children during their preschool years, giving them a strong start as they began school. Good grades were always expected.

Practical by nature and well-trained in accounting, Bette skillfully managed the household finances. She knew how to create a budget and stick to it, keeping a careful watch over the family's purse strings.

Bette also had a clear sense of right and wrong, with little middle ground, and she made sure her children understood the difference. She worked hard to keep them on the straight and narrow path-with varying degrees of success during their teenage years! In the end, she was deeply proud of her children, just as they were proud of her.

A faithful parishioner of her church, Bette served for many years as the parish bookkeeper and was active in the Home & School Association and the Altar & Rosary Society. While her children attended Corpus Christi School, she volunteered annually as a classroom "Room Mother."

Bette was also a true-blue Notre Dame fan. Her experience as a Winamac Warriors Yell Leader served her well while cheering at Notre Dame basketball games. She loved music and dancing, and she and Tom were members of The Assembly Club, a South Bend dinner and dance club. Bette especially enjoyed dressing up and going out on the town with Tom and their friends. She also very much looked forward to her monthly bridge club with the ladies from the neighborhood.

In retirement, Bette and Tom enjoyed summers in South Bend and winters in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, where they cherished time with her sisters, brothers-in-law, and many friends, rarely missing a happy hour!

Bette is survived by her children: Thomas (Joan) Varga Jr., Terri (Thomas) Vahey, Chad (Denise) Varga, and Paul (Kristin) Varga; seven grandchildren: Ann (Mike) Hastings, Chris (Caroline) Varga, Eileen Varga, Natalie Varga, Zachary Varga, Paige Varga, and Bryce Varga; and five great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas J. Varga Sr., and by her siblings, Maxine Compton, Joan Moss, and Donald "Bud" Boulden.

The family extends sincere gratitude to the caregivers and staff who supported Bette at Holy Cross Village, Wellbrooke Senior Living, and Comfort 1 Hospice.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at Corpus Christi Catholic Church on Saturday, March 21st at 11:00 am. Friends may visit at the church an hour before the service. Memorial contributions may be made to Corpus Christi Parish. Kaniewski Funeral Homes is assisting the family with arrangements.

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