Beverly passed away peacefully on March 8, 2026. She was the daughter of Gordon Eustace Blackwell, Sr. and Choyce Goff Blackwell and was born at the Mobile Infirmary on October 6, 1935. She graduated from Murphy High School in 1953 and the University of Alabama in 1957 with a bachelor’s degree in education and music. She was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority at the University and formed friendships that lasted a lifetime. She married her best friend and the love of her life, Graham B. Loper in 1957, had four sons and celebrated 63 years of marriage in 2020. Beverly’s love of Graham, her boys, grandchildren and great grandchildren was constant and endless. Each grandchild believed he or she was her favorite. Aside from her time at the University of Alabama, Beverly spent her entire life in Mobile and Baldwin County.
Beverly was actively involved in serving others and her community. She was a long-time member of Trinity Episcopal Church in Mobile. She served on the altar guild for many years at Trinity and used her time and talent for needlework to fashion beautiful altar kneeling cushions, which miraculously survived the devastating Christmas Day tornado of 2012. She was a founding member and served as President of the Mother’s Club at UMS preparatory school. She also worked regularly as a volunteer for the Mobile Court Appointed Special Advocates. She worked tirelessly for over 35 years for those in the Mobile community affected with addiction.
She cherished her relationships with family and friends and consistently put others first. Her favorite place to spend any spare time was at the family home on Miflin Creek. She loved spending time at Miflin with family and friends. She was an avid tennis player, winning many challenging matches at the Country Club of Mobile over the years. She also had a tennis court constructed at Miflin where she could play tennis when she was away from Mobile. She was an active member of several mystic societies.
Beverly was known as an incredible cook and, in particular, for her fried shrimp, Beef Wellington, Grits and Grillades, dressing at Thanksgiving and Christmas and homemade sourdough bread. She was often asked to prepare one of these items while visiting friends. She was talented at many different crafts including needlepoint, hand painted china and french hand sewing. She made a Christening gown which has been used by all of her grandchildren and many family friends and needle pointed Christmas stockings for many children and all grandchildren. She was loved and will be missed by many. There is no doubt, however that she is with our Lord and many of her lost family members, as her faith was strong.
Beverly was preceded in death by her husband Graham. She is survived by her sons R. Coleman Loper (Annette) of Atlanta, GA, G. Brown Loper (Lauren) of Acworth, GA, G. Cameron Loper of Mobile, AL and Murray T. Loper (Heather) of Miflin, AL. She is also survived by her grandchildren Regan Loper (Jordan), Alex Loper and Anna Loper Sly (Justin) all of Birmingham, AL, Zachary Loper and Zoe Loper of Acworth, GA, Emmett Loper and Finley Loper of Miflin, AL, and three great grandchildren, Graham Loper, Bennett Loper and Catherine Sly, all of Birmingham.
Graveside services and interment will be held on Friday, March 20 at 2:00 pm at the Spring Hill Cemetery followed by a memorial service at 4:00 pm at Trinity Episcopal Church. The family will receive friends during church visitation from 3:00 until 4:00 that afternoon.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Trinity Episcopal Church in Mobile, AL.
