Betty Joe Wolff, longtime owner of Page & Palette Books, Fairhope, Ala., died on February 22 at the age of 91.
"Her passion was books and she purchased Page & Palette in 1972 in downtown Fairhope, creating a haven for readers and authors alike," her wonderfully personal, humorous obituary said. "Many people attribute the rich writing culture in Fairhope to Granny's decades of promoting books and bringing in authors from around the nation to our little town. Thousands of authors had their first signing at Page & Palette, along with Fannie Flagg and countless others." The Fairhope Center for the Writing Arts named the home of its visiting writers, Wolff Cottage, in her honor.
Page & Palette is now owned by Wolff's granddaughter Karin Wolff Wilson, who runs it with her husband, Kiefer. (Wilson was elected mayor of Fairhope in 2016 and is a former president of the Southern Independent Booksellers Association.)
A memorial service will be held tomorrow, March 2, at 1 p.m. at St. James Episcopal Church in Fairhope. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions either to St. James Episcopal Church, 860 N. Section St., Fairhope, Ala. 36532 or to Wolff Cottage, Fairhope Center of the Writing Arts, P.O. Box 826, Fairhope, Ala. 36533.
