Beverly J Brown

She was born Beverly Jeanne Eacock on September 11, 1933, in Deadwood, South Dakota, but in early childhood moved to San Diego, California, with her mother and younger brother. Her mother and father separated, and she spent most of her school years and early teens helping her mom raise her brother Donald in San Diego.

Beverly met Martin Brown when she was in her mid-teens, and he was in the Navy in San Diego, undergoing boot training. Their attraction was immediate, if a bit concerning to Beverly's family because of their young ages. Nonetheless, it was clear that soul mates had met, and her family was convinced. In the summer of 1949, 19-year old Martin and the love of his life Beverly, 2 months short of 16, were married in the chapel at San Diego Naval Training Center (now Liberty Station).

Of course, the mobility and uncertainties of the military lifestyle presented challenges for the young couple. Initially, they put their plans for a family on hold while Martin concentrated on his young career. Supported by their strong family ties and devotion to each other, though, the marriage quickly became the strongest of partnerships. They were joined by their children Larry Dennis and Shirley Anne in 1951 and 1955, respectively. When Martin's Navy, and later Air Force, duties kept him away from home for extended periods, Beverly handled the household and children in his absence with diligence and love. He entrusted the household finances to her, and they managed frugally but well on his military pay. After they became an Air Force family in 1959, at each duty transfer when the family had to relocate (many times), Beverly would drive the chase car the hundreds of miles cross-country, behind Martin towing the family mobile home.

Although she and Martin were comfortable with him being the family's breadwinner, Beverly was not one to be content with staying at home. Wherever they traveled, Beverly easily made friends and looked for ways to be useful in the local community. She joined Air Force wives' clubs, other organizations such as Eastern Star, helped teach on-base Sunday school classes for dependent children, and even took over and managed the squadron ceramics shop in Ontario, Canada, where she became quite adept at pottery and kiln work.

It was also in Canada that the family was tested by an accident in 1961 that seriously injured both children as they traveled to school. Both children spent a significant time in hospitals far from home, and Beverly poured herself into their long healing when they were able to return home.

Beverly often recounted with pride that the family had lived from coast to coast and border to border, and in Canada and Alaska as well. In fact, Martin retired from the military in Alaska, after once again having to leave home for an extended tour alone in the Aleutians.

Once back in the Lower 48 after "retirement", Beverly and Martin decided to move to Washington State, for which both had a fondness that had grown from visits to Martin's father, who spent much of his life in Tacoma.

Recognizing that Martin was also not someone who could sit still, and who needed to serve others, Beverly supported his return to the working world in Seattle, leading to his years with PACCAR and later the State of Washington.

Of course, with a new home, and firm roots for the first time in many years, Beverly looked around for ways to contribute. Volunteering came naturally to her, and she eventually found her way to the local hospital in Ballard. Over the next 30 years she contributed tens of thousands of hours, working in the gift shop, guiding guests, pushing wheelchairs, making clothing and baked goods for fundraisers and doing whatever else she could do to help.

Beverly and Martin's marriage endured just one week short of 60 years, ending with Martin's passing in 2009. It was clearly a blow to Beverly, who did her best to move on with her friends and the rest of her family.

She became ill in the last few years of her life, but for the most part tried to maintain her spirits in spite of her disabilities.

She passed quietly near midnight on January 6 in Providence Hospital in Everett with her family at her side.

Beverly is survived by her son Larry Brown and his wife Lucie Francois, her daughter Shirley Van Beek and her husband Dennis Van Beek, and her grandchildren Nicole and Daniel Van Beek.

We have lost a dear mother, comforter and defender, grandmother and friend, and she will be greatly missed.

A memorial service for Beverly will be held at Evergreen-Washelli Funeral Home at 11111 Aurora Avenue in Seattle, at 10 am on February 2, 2018. This will be followed by a procession to Tahoma National Cemetery at 18600 SE 240th Street in Kent for a service at 1:15 pm, where she will be laid to rest next to her beloved husband Martin.