During the calm summer morning of July 12, 2020, Beverly Ann Frizell Blackwell peacefully passed away in her home with her children by her side. Born and raised in Larned, Kansas, Beverly’s family WAS the town. She attended the L’Dora schoolhouse, named after her grandmother and her grandfather was the mayor, state senator, and owner of the Fort Larned trading post. It was there that she would meet the love of her life, Robert, and the two would spend the rest of their days together building a loving family and making the most of every second. Beverly attended The University of Kansas, where she would become a proud member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority, which she would be involved with for the rest of her life. She and Robert world go on to travel the world and then move to Phoenix, AZ to raise their two children. A long time member of the Arizona Country Club, Beverly was an avid golfer. You would be hard pressed to find someone who could consistently hit the ball straight down the fairway with every single swing the way that she could (much to the disbelief and sometimes frustration of whoever she was playing a round with). She also had a love for bridge and for decades was a member of the Desert Rats, a bridge club where she and her friends would go to the desert to drink and play cards. Beverly was a brilliant painter with a passion for painting Southwestern imagery and she filled their house with hundreds of incredible works and she volunteered at Heard Museum. She would pass this talent for painting on to her daughter. Music was also in Beverly’s soul, with a voice that could stand up there with the likes of Judy Garland and Ella Fitzgerald, she was almost always singing, humming, or whistling a tune. She and her son recorded two albums together, which were cherished by all their family and friends. While she loved all of these things, there was one love for her that eclipsed them all…the love for her family. She loved every one of us with every fiber of her being and was happiest when we were all together, whether it was sitting around the Thanksgiving table, or crammed into a small house on the beach in San Diego. These were the moments that a smile would never leave her face. She is survived by her two children, Debra (Fred) and Scott (Gail). Five grandchildren, Lauren, James (Renee), Kristin, Robert and Sarah. And two great grandchildren, Elise and Lucia.
Beverly’s favorite song was Summertime, by Ella Fitzgerald. So in the words of Ella:
One of these mornings you’re gonna rise up singing.
Yes, you’ll spread your wings and you’ll take to the sky.
Take to the sky, Grandma. We love you forever and will miss you for always.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in Beverly’s honor to the Desert Southwest Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association,
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