Beth Louise Sherer

Beth Louise (Henke) O’Keefe-Sherer, a truly elegant, gracious, beautiful and dignified lady passed in her sleep at 100 years of age. Beth was a CT native, born in the Whitney House on the Green in Collinsville in her grandfather, Arthur C. Davidson’s house, as he was the metallurgist for the Collins Co. Beth always seemed to be doing something interesting or helping someone else. She later spent her adolescent years in upstate NY and teenage years in Blind Brook Lodge in Rye, NY learning to cook at the side of her mother Alberta, Alberta’s 2nd husband, Lord George Magner and her half sister Carol, who predeceased her.

Cooking would become a passion, experimenting with many recipes and foods, acquiring every imaginable tool, gadget and gizmo made, if it cut, carved or grated she had to have one and most likely in 3 additional sizes. Later in life she enjoyed reading about food, clipping articles, keeping up with current events, watching her cooking shows, making soups and speaking with her sons almost every day. She enjoyed her time in Rye going to Playland with her friends, being entertained by her older brother Robert’s good friend, and her babysitter, Art Carney, later of the Honeymooners fame and developing her second passion fashion. Her dream to attend design school was unfulfilled, but her clothes design sketches are a testament to her talent. Robert sadly passed in his 30’s of a brain aneurism.

She graduated from Rye High School and there she met Robert E. O’Keefe who would later become her husband and father of her two sons after he returned from his Army service in Germany. Beth worked at 30 Rockefeller Center and during lunch breaks would sneak into the radio and early TV studios to watch the shows being broadcast. She and Bob moved to Miami in 1952 and sadly Bob suffered from PTSD and other injuries from his service in WWII and abandoned the family. Beth raised her young sons by herself and they never wanted for love. Beth’s dedication to them was unlimited; she often would not eat so there was enough food for her sons.

At age 37, she relocated to Hartford and began working with her mother at Peck & Peck, a fine woman’s clothing store on Pratt St. Beth loved fashion, with her natural sense of style she excelled at Peck & Peck, eventually became store manager, and helped countless of Hartford's top fashionistas stay in high style. She, Gram and her sons moved to Farmington where Alberta and Beth raised her boys together and hosted some epic parties. Beth remarried and moved to Avon. Her mother, and best friend, died, Peck & Peck closed and Beth again picked up the design pen, this time working in Interior Design. Beth also was an Avon Beauty Products representative for as long as her boys can remember, developing a love of the product line early on and demonstrating her strong entrepreneurial spirit.

Eventually she divorced her 2nd husband and moved to Southington and on a whim she went to work at Cedar Hill Cemetery. Her empathic and warm personality made her a perfect fit as she found herself consoling a wide range of people from all races and religions assisting the grieving families in plot selection, burial arrangements and monument coordination for nearly 20 years. She even spent time with Katherine Hepburn assisting with her brother’s arrangements and helping her hide from the paparazzi and slip out the back door into her waiting limo.

Beth was a fiercely private and independent person who lived on her own until 3 months before her passing. Beth will be remembered for her strength, grace and amazing kindness and infectious laugh. Her two sons, Scott and Michael, were unbelievably blessed to have had the most amazing mom. They would like to thank her aides and nurses who assisted her and especially her dedicated friend Carmela Cahill who they can never repay for her kindness. Besides her sons she leaves her loving daughter-in-law Marilda, grandson Paul and his wife Kristen, her beautiful great grandchildren Alex and Ava and her sister’s 3 girls Laurie, Lisa and Rachel and her brother’s 4 children Robert, Roxanne, Guy and Gail.

Visiting hours will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2025 from 9-11am at the DellaVecchia Funeral Home; 211 N. Main St. Southington. Burial will immediately follow at Riverside Cemetery, Farmington, CT. To leave a message of remembrance for the family please visit: www.DellaVecchiaSouthington.com