The Man of Betty's Life
Betty's true love was her third husband, Allen Packard Ellsworth, also known as Allen Ludden. He was born October 5, 1917, in Mineral Point, Wisconsin. Allen hosted the game show Password where he and Betty met. Allen's wife Margaret died from cancer shortly after the show started. They had a son, David, and two daughters, Martha and Sarah, with two poodle puppies Willie and Emma.
Three weeks after Password started, Betty became a panelist on the show. Allen fell in love with her first. Betty's old boyfriend noticed the chemistry between Betty and Allen before she realized she was crazy about him too. Later that summer, their agent booked them to co-star in a play, “The Critic's Choice” for 3 weeks in New England along with Allen's kids and their two puppies.
Allen asked Betty to marry him several times, and the answer was always no. Allen wore the wedding ring he had purchased on a chain around his neck so Betty would always see it. Betty finally accepted when Allen gave her a cute fluffy stuffed bunny with diamonds in it's ears. Betty said it was the stuffed bunny not the diamonds that made her say yes. Allen and Betty were married on June 14, 1963 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Sands Hotel-Casino. Allen's three children attended the wedding ceremony. Betty and Allen had a short honeymoon in Laguna Beach, California, and moved to a old house in Chappaqua, New York. Later they built a dream house in Carmel, CA.
In 1979, Allen was diagnosed with stomach cancer, and in October of 1980, he suffered a massive stroke. Betty and Allen kept the news private until close to the very end. On June 9, 1981, Allen Ludden died at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, California, just a few days before their 18th Wedding Anniversary. Allen was buried in Graceland Cemetery in Mineral Point, Wisconsin.
This would have been their 53rd Wedding Anniversary