Obituary of Beverly Ann Phinney

Sackville, N.B.- Beverly Ann Phinney passed away peacefully, with her loving husband Fred and her children at her side, at the Drew Nursing Home in Sackville NB on March 24, 2011 at the age of 70 years. Born in New Glasgow, NS on February 3, 1941, Bev was the daughter of the late Mary Helen Irving and James Allison Flemming. Bev’s father died in the Battle of Normandy, and for the first decade of her life, she was raised by her dear mother Helen. Bev was born with a hearing impairment, and from the time she was small, her mother spent many hours with her sitting in front of a mirror, teaching her to lip-read. After her mother re-married, she grew up in Truro with her second family, surrounded by brothers and sisters. Bev attended Mount Allison University where she received a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics. It was there that she met Fred, the love of her life, while skating one night at Allison Gardens. Bev and Fred were married in 1962 and lived for a time in Amherst where she taught Home Economics at the Amherst High School and the Interprovincial School for the Deaf. Bev and Fred moved to Sackville in 1967, where they raised four children: Alison (Lee Iverson) of Vancouver; Susan (Tim Foran) of Ottawa; Christopher (Louise) of Singapore; and Jonathan of Sackville. They have 7 grandchildren: Maxwell and Thomas Iverson, Helen, Anna-Grace and Matthew Foran, Joshua Phinney, and Benson Phinney. Bev will be missed by all her family, including her sisters Joan Patton and Olive Cleaves (Roy), her brothers Greg Hudson and David Hudson (Monica), sister-in-law Ann Hudson, and her father’s sisters Catherine Donovan and Marilyn Brown, as well as her many nieces, nephews and cousins. Bev was predeceased by her father James Allison Flemming, her mother Mary Helen Irving, her step-father Edwin Harvey Hudson, and three brothers Edwin (Buddy) Hudson, Richard Hudson and Philip Hudson. Bev will be remembered for her deep commitment to her church and community and her great love for her family and friends. She was a kind and generous woman. Whether in the sewing room or puttering in the kitchen, she would always stop to make a pot of tea and share some of her biscuits with anyone who dropped by. She loved music, always singing while she worked, and she was a beautiful dancer. In recent years, Bev lived with Alzheimer’s disease, but even as things became more difficult for her, her courage never flagged. With the help of those who cared for her, and especially her dear Fred, she continued to live and love with full conviction. Arrangements are entrusted to Campbell’s Funeral Home, 89 Bridge Street, Sackville, N.B. (364-8188). Visitation will take place at the funeral home on Sunday, March 27, 2011 from 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm. The funeral will be held in the Sackville United Church on Monday, March 28 at 2 pm with Rev. Dr. Ronald Vincent & Rev. Catherine Gaw officiating. Cremation will take place following the service and a private family burial will be held at a later date in the Sackville Cemetery. Following the service, family and friends are invited to a time of reception in the Sackville United Church Parlours. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations in memory of Bev be made to the Alzheimer Society, Drew Nursing Home, or Sackville United Church.