remembering Mrs. 'B'... Evelyn Beharrell...

in loving memory...

Honouring + Remembering "Mrs B" - Evelyn Beharrell
July 3, 1914 - February 26, 2007
~ Died in Nanaimo at the age of 93 ~

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Dear Mrs. Beharrell... ...Thank you for YOU Mrs. B !!!
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Just wanted to let you know how much i appreciated you and to thank you sooo much for being a major influence in my life in all ways - with music and life...

I always loved and so looked forward to being in your bright loving presence whenever you came to visit my mom at our house or at church.  You and my mom were best friends - you both first met when you worked as telephone operators at BC Tel... and, you loved to debate politics with my dad any chance you could get - and same with him!  I think you won those debates in my mind...

You taught me sooo much - how to be a passionate and soul-full musician - to open my mouth wide when i sang and to always enjoy life in the moment... it was always fun to be with you any time and we always laughed a hell of a lot!

You are the most joyful and elegant person i have ever met!  I also loved how passionately and how well you played the piano and the organ...

I will always remember the many songs you cherished and played so beautifully... "How Great Thou Art"... "My Favourite Things"... "Robin In The Rain"... "Swinging On A Star"... and so many more - every time i hear them i always think of you!

I will always remember the day you chose me at church choir (St. Stephen's United Church, East Delta, BC) ...when you handed me a pair of old bongo drums. asking me to play some new calypso hymn with you and choir.  That was the first time i actually played 'real' drums' - i always wondered how you knew i would be able to play them?  That was certainly a pivotal point in my life and i've never stopped drumming on 'real' drums since...
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bongo drums

You taught me much about life in many ways - i loved how you always saw the good in all people and it didn't matter from what walk of life they came from... you taught me that there is goodness in all life and in all people...

One time with you, i will always treasure...

One day as you and i were driving back from Ladner to my house in East Delta, (i think i was about 10 then), there was a young bearded man with a back pack hitch-hiking by the #10 highway exit to the 99 freeway and when we drove by and, you said to me...

"Gee... i wonder where that beautiful young soul is going - do you think we should pick him up!?"

From what i had learned thus far in my young life... a lot of folk would have quickly judged and saw him as a dirty transient bum or a hippy - But not you.. you never judged people in a negative way - ever!  And, i always admired you for that - you taught me that there was a whole other way to see life... to choose to see the beauty in everything - thank you for that!

In your elder years, i was saddened when you had to move away to the Island because i didn't get to visit with you as much as i would have liked... i was glad that i did get to see you a few times before your passing when you were in Nanaimo - i will always treasure the moment when i shared some music with you during one of those visits... your sight was rapidly leaving you tho' you still "saw" so much - a treasured moment i shall never forget - your face was as bright as the sun!  I appreciated that you thought my voice had 'matured'...

What was ironic, was one of the last times i saw you, i learned you were sharing a wall in the care home you lived in, while in Nanaimo - with celebrated Ojibway artist Norval Morrisseau... one of my most favourite artists ever... You both passed over that same year in 2007.  I had the privilege of meeting Norval a couple times, there, with you at the care home and another time at a health food restaurant (Sweet Cherubim's) on Commercial Drive in Vancouver...

So, my dear dear mentor and friend... i thank you again for all the wonderful times and all the music we shared together and, all you taught me - i will always remember you, i honour you and please know... i really really miss you!!!  I miss our visits, our talks and just being together laughing, and...

I also know deep in my heart that you are sooo very happy to be finally reunited with your beloved Charlie and you both are most likely dancing and singing in the light!

...with much love and light always, carol x (((o)))
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PS... above photo taken with Mrs. B wearing one of the air-brushed shirts we created when i co-owned and operated Women's Work Screen Print & Design Studio - she loved it and the bright rainbow colours certainly suited her (she thought so too!)...

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Mrs. B's Obituary...

what is remembered, lives!

BEHARRELL _ Evelyn (nee Lowrey) Born July 3, 1914 in Esquimalt, B.C. Evelyn passed away peacefully February 26, 2007. Predeceased by her husband Charles Francis Beharrell in 1965, as well as her brothers Stan and Warren Lowrey.

She is survived by her brother Raymond Lowrey, as well as many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grand-nephews. Evelyn had a rewarding career as a pianist, accompanist, choir leader and director of music throughout New Westminster and East Delta, as well as working 20 years with the phone company before marrying her beloved Charlie in 1957.
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She lived many years in Ladner, then Sidney where she spent 18 happy years before moving to Nanaimo with her brother in 2001 to live with her niece and nephew Rosalind and Mike Brethour and their children. Her sense of humour and empathy will be sadly missed by all her family and friends. Many thanks to the staff at Nanaimo Seniors Village for their thoughtfulness and care during her stay. - Private interment of ashes at a later date.

Published in the Vancouver Sun and/or The Province on 3/08/2007.

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