VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – Mary Bess Beasley, retired Medical Office Manager, received her eternal reward as she went home to be with the Lord on March 17th, 2024, Saint Patrick’s Day; from now on her family will lovingly refer to the day as Saint Mary’s Day.
Mary Bess was born in Scotland Neck, NC on December 25th, 1924. She was the daughter of Joseph Millard and Nellie Bell (Kirkland) Glover and was predeceased by her first husband, Robert N. Givens, her second husband, Morris (Wally) Walls, and married Clay W. Beasley on July 26, 1999.
Mary Bess grew up on a farm in Margarettsville NC, she was the seventh of eight children. She often told stories of her childhood growing up during the depression era and she spoke of the generosity of her family eager to help other struggling families during that time. As a young woman she moved to Norfolk VA to find work, where she met her first husband Robert, a military man. While he was in the service, they lived in many places around the country and even overseas, finally settling in Virginia Beach. Mary Bess wore many hats and worked at many places, she was a cashier at a department store, worked at the US Postal Office, and because of her talent and ability she gravitated very successfully towards working for several collection agencies. It was in those services, she helped people with delinquent medical bills. At the same time, wearing the hat of motherhood, she raised three wonderful daughters. Her last employment was with Atlantic Orthopedic where she worked well into her 70’s before retirement.
Mary Bess served others, especially when it came to cooking and sharing her delights with those she loved. She enjoyed canning fresh vegetables, making fudge, cakes, cookies, peanut butter balls, bread and butter pickles, pimento cheese, and beets. If you visited her, you normally left with one of her delights to take home and enjoy. Many would return those jars and containers hoping to have the delight replenished, for she often gave the gift that kept on giving.
Mary Bess made a decision to follow Christ Jesus as her Lord and Savior as a young girl, was baptized in a millpond near a local church in Margarrettsville and continued to serve the Lord as a member to Baptist Churches during her lifetime. She lived as an example Christian to her family and in her last years, read her Bible each day, finishing several times through from cover to cover.
Mary Bess enjoyed the companionship of Clay, her husband of 24 years, and was surrounded in love by her family. She is survived by her three daughters and their husbands, Deborah Winesett (Michael), Donna Garrett (Lynn), and Dianne Tynes (Ted); six grandchildren, Nathan and Eli Winesett, Abigail Fox and Daniel Garrett, Billy and Matthew Marshall; and 14 great grandchildren. As the last living Matriarch of the Glover family, she will be missed by many nieces and nephews, some that lovingly called her “Aunt Liddy.”
A Memorial Service will be held at St. John’s Baptist Church, 2300 Holland Rd, Virginia Beach VA, at 11AM on Friday, March 22nd, 2024, there will be a luncheon following the service in the Church social hall, where the family will be available for visiting guests.
In lieu of flowers, the request is for donations to the Creeds Ruritan Club in honor of Mary where she served as a faithful member.
Blackwater Creeds Foundation
Creeds Ruritan Club,
1057 Princess Anne Rd.
Virginia Beach VA 23457
