August 23, 1947 - August 22, 2023 Bev was born in Newton Massachusetts on 23 August 1947. The family lived on Columbia Avenue in Newton Highlands when she was born, but soon moved to High Street, Newton Upper Falls where Bev attended elementary school. She was thirteen when the family moved to Marked Tree Road in Needham where Bev attended junior high and high school, graduating from Needham High School in 1966. She later attended Johnson & Wales Business College in Providence Rhode Island. It was during her time in Rhode Island that she met Richard Oaks, a US Navy submarine sailor and they married in September 1971.Their Daughter Christina Joy was born a little over a year later, and they moved to Washington State where Rick had grown up. When Rick completed his naval service, they continued to live in Washington State, and briefly in California. When Herbert Downs, Bev’s father, developed a brain tumor, Bev and Chris returned to the family home in Needham to help Eleanore Downs, Bev’s mother. Bev and Rick were divorced soon after Bev returned to live in Needham. After her Dad died, Bev stayed in the family home in Needham during the next few years where she and her mother supported each other and jointly raised Chris. It was during this period that she met Andre. Andre was a single parent of two girls. He and Bev hit it off and were married in December, 1992. They lived in Lakeville, Massachusetts until they both retired and decided to spend their golden years in Florida. They bought a home in Winter Haven, sold their Lakeville home and became Florida residents. Bev developed heart trouble, and the day after her Seventy-First birthday she received a new heart valve. Earlier this year, almost five years later, it was determined that the valve was failing and needed to be replaced again. She entered the hospital on Tuesday, 22 August 2023, less than 3 weeks ago. Bev died of heart failure during the valve replacement operation. She was just one day shy of her 76th birthday. She will be very much missed.