Beverly (Whitman) Everett of North Andover, widow of Dr. Henry C. Everett, passed away on Thursday, May 9, from complications of heart failure.
Beverly was a gentle, generous, and eminently practical New Englander who always had a kind word for everyone she met and kept her composure at all times, save for an occasional wry smile that could be spotted beneath the glint in her eye.
Beverly was a lover of nature and enjoyed hiking and birdwatching. At home, she maintained feeders for the local bird population and filled her windowsills with plants. She loved opera and made numerous pilgrimages with friends to the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City to see her favorites.
Beverly was an active, long-time member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading. She had a particular interest in Buddhist philosophy and, with Henry, was a member of the Institute on Religion in the Age of Science, for many years attending their annual summer conference on Star Island in New Hampshire. She was also an active member of the International Association for Religious Freedom, with whom she traveled to India, Japan and Taiwan.
Above all, Beverly was a loving wife and companion to Henry and a devoted stepmother to her adopted family. After Henry’s passing, she helped keep the children and their families connected. She hosted an annual Christmas dinner, typically at the Colonial Inn in Concord, followed by a Yankee Swap, where gifts, often humorous, were opened and exchanged.
Beverly was born on April 12, 1933, in Coventry, Rhode Island, where she was raised. She attended the University of Rhode Island and worked for twenty-one years as a Research Technician in the Neurosurgical Department at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She and Henry were longtime residents of the Millpond community in North Andover. After his passing, she moved to Edgewood in North Andover, where she lived for the remainder of her life.
Beverly is survived by her five stepchildren, Peter, Christopher, Elizabeth, Jonathan, and Michael, and her step-grandchildren Vivian, Carter, Cynthia, Ken, William, Alex, and Lily.
A memorial service for Beverly will be held on Saturday, July 6, at 11:00 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 239 Woburn Street, Reading, MA. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to: Doctors Without Borders USA, P.O. Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5030.