Beryl Ione Lofters Kirven

Beryl Ione Kirven (née Lofters), beloved mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, passed away peacefully on January 28, 2025, at the age of 100 in Montebello, NY. Born on March 6, 1924, in Glen Islay, Jamaica, she was the daughter of the late Phillip and Ellen (Tinling) Lofters.

Beryl’s life was one of grace, kindness, and dedication. As a child, she was a gifted student, who read voraciously. Upon completing her studies at St. Simons College in Kingston, Jamaica, she won a scholarship to study in England, but her heart led her to marriage in the United States. Beryl worked for many years at a variety of libraries including the New York Public Library in New York City and the Suffern Free Library in Suffern, NY, where she shared her love of books and learning with countless people. Beryl was also an active member of the Brick Church in New Hempstead, NY, where she nurtured her spiritual life and formed lasting relationships within her church community.

Those who knew her best would describe Beryl as calm, caring, and dignified. She had a warmth that made everyone feel welcome, and her gentle spirit was felt deeply by all who had the privilege of knowing her. Above all, she cherished her family and friends, particularly her grandchildren, who brought her great joy. As an avid Scrabble player, she was seldom equaled. Beryl had a talent for words and proper English usage was very important to her. There are few who have not had their grammar gently corrected by Beryl. Manifesting her love of family, she became the family historian, authoring a family newsletter to connect the extended generations of Lofters.

Beryl was predeceased by her husband, Leslie Kirven, in 1976, and her daughters, Brenda in 2004, and Sheila in 2021. She was also predeceased by her nine brothers and sisters. Despite these losses, Beryl’s strength and resilience shone through, and she remained a loving presence in the lives of her surviving daughters, Lorna and Melissa, as well as her grandchildren: Leslie, Lisa, Walter, Whitney, Courtland, Jessica, Alexander, Lucas, and Caitlin, and a proud great-grandmother to Aubrey and Kennedy.

Beryl’s funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at the Brick Church, 220 Brick Church Rd., New Hempstead, NY 10901. Interment will follow at Ferncliff Cemetery, 280 Secor Rd., Hartsdale, NY 10530. A repast in her honor will be held at the Parish House next to Brick Church after her internment.

Donations to the Suffern Free Library, https://www.suffernfreelibrary.org/get-involved/donations/ in the name of Beryl Kirven, are welcomed.