July 2, 1952 – May 11, 2026

Anyone who knew Betty Barsamian — her many talents, eye for detail, and depth of caring for the people she loved — knew that she was special. A creative spirit with a gift for inspired design, Betty passed away on May 11, 2026, near her home in Walnut Creek, California.

Betty’s skills as a graphic designer were unsurpassed, whether working with her own clients or through leading graphic design offices, in advertising, or with newspapers. She started her career in San Francisco, spending a formative time at the Office of Michael Manwaring, a firm that helped define the groundbreaking San Francisco design movement of the 1980s.

She settled in South Lake Tahoe for more than 30 years, where she left a pronounced mark on the community, playing a central role in campaigns and design projects and collaborating with local leaders, state and regional agencies, businesses, and media to help define how the region
was represented. She was the art director and production manager at the Tahoe Daily Tribune, and, as a freelance graphic designer in the region, she worked with clients from the chamber of commerce, to the utility and school districts, to area resorts and winemakers.

Betty was born in Berkeley and grew up in El Cerrito, California, the daughter of the late Pete and Anne Barsamian and one of four siblings. She was deeply connected to her Armenian heritage, making a formative trip to Armenia as a teenager and staying active for many years at St. Vartan Armenian Apostolic Church in Oakland. She shared wonderful hours of Armenian cooking and baking with her mother, and she loved passing those skills on to family and friends.

She attended the University of California, Berkeley, before transferring to San Jose State University to pursue her passion for design. She earned her B.S. there in graphic design, laying the foundation for her career.

Betty married and moved to South Lake Tahoe in 1985, and five years later had her son, Tyler Venema. She was a devoted mother, delighting in Tyler’s interests and progress as he grew. When he completed college in Florida and settled in Boulder, Colorado, Betty moved there too, enjoying several happy years in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

She returned to the Bay Area in 2022 after her cancer diagnosis. She continued to connect with Tyler daily, collaborating by phone on the New York Times spelling bee and cheering on their favorite tennis players and sports teams.

Those who love her will remember her beaming smile, her fashion sense, her regimen of long- distant walking, the 1,000+ origami cranes she created, her humor in the hardest times, and her precision and thoughtfulness in everything she undertook. They will also remember how much she cared for each of them.

Betty is survived by her son Tyler Venema; her siblings Gayle Barsamian, Paul Barsamian (Denise), and Peter Barsamian (Pat); her nieces Laila and Ali Barsamian and Delaney Hyson (Michael); her grandnephew Enzo Hyson; and her former husband Dan Venema.

Gifts in Betty’s memory may be made to a charity of your choice.