Memorial Service: May 14, 2022, 1 pm EDT

Please join us for a celebration of the life of Beverly Brink, at a service on May 14, 2022,

at the Dennis Union Church, in Dennis, MA. The service will be held at 1 pm in the

sanctuary, and will be followed by a reception at the church.

We invite you as well to share your memories, stories, and even photos of Bev on the

Memory Wall in this site—it will be a joy to hear from you.

Beverly Brink, a remembrance

Beverly Brink, 92, of Yarmouth Port, MA, passed away at home on December 10, 2021,

with her husband of 70 years, Edward Brink, and her children, at her side.

We, her family, were fortunate to be enjoy her humor, her love of singing—and most of

all, her love of family and friends. She left us after 8 years of living with Parkinson's

Disease, and since, we have been trying to figure out how to represent an extraordinary

human being in just a few paragraphs. We think of her in so many ways—as a leader, a

professional, an advocate, a musician, an adventurer, a great cook, a terrific parent, a

dedicated friend, a committed spouse—and just good company.

Bev, as her friends call her, was equally comfortable planning an intimate dinner for

friends or a high-powered, week-long professional conference. She was a skilled

organizer, committed to serving her community. She loved music, especially singing

and choral music. Her laugh was infectious—a roomful of people would find

themselves laughing along with her, even if they weren't sure why.

Beverly June Beitel was born in Avalon, PA, on May 10, 1929, to Oliver Clifford Beitel

and Sylvia (Pressler) Beitel, a few months before the onset of the Great Depression. Bev

would quip that she was born and the stock market crashed.

Bev was involved throughout her school years in music and athletics. She played the

piano, sang in choruses and played basketball and field hockey. She graduated from

Avalon High School in 1947, receiving the women's Jack Brice Memorial Award for

Athletics. Few people know that Bev played on a semi-pro women's basketball team

after graduation. She continued to sing, including in an Andrews-Sister-style "girl

group."

Perhaps the most important high school event was a sophomore-year hayride—a first

date with Ed Brink, whom she had known since second grade. That hayride sealed the

deal on a lifelong love, friendship, and partnership. Bev and Ed (coincidentally, the

men's recipient of the Jack Brice Award) were a team. In the high school choir, Bev sang

tenor so she could sit with Ed and help him learn the music—at least that was her

excuse. An only child, Beverly often visited Ed's family of ten children for Sunday

dinner. She stuck with him even after her offer to help landed her on the back steps

husking a bushel basket of corn. Bev and Ed were married on December 15, 1951, the

beginning of rich 70 years together.

One of Bev's much-appreciated talents was her love of travel and her ability to arrange

excellent trips for family and friends. Beautiful cabins on New England lakes, lodges

with ocean views, barge cruises from Amsterdam to Budapest, apartments in the Swiss

Alps, intriguing study-trips among natural wonders—she had a knack for finding

destinations that all members of the party would enjoy.

Bev's taste for adventure was honed when Ed was drafted into the army and sent to

Fort Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Not wanting to miss a good time, Bev climbed

on a train and headed to Seattle. She boarded a freighter and sailed through the inland

passage to what would become the 49th US State.

While in Anchorage, Bev worked for officers on Elmendorf Airbase. But she reveled in

the opportunity to explore the wild northern terrain with Ed. Photos recall fishing trips,

hikes to glaciers, astonishing flowers and landscapes, and picnics and celebrations with

their friends. Bev excelled at making friends and creating community wherever she

lived. People were her priority—a priority that guided her life.

In 1957, after their return to the mainland, Bev and Ed moved to New Jersey, where Ed

landed a teaching job at Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey.) They

eventually bought a house in nearby Pennington. They settled into the community and

raised three children: Nancy Sue, David Oliver, and Jonathan Edward.

Bev's professional skills and demeanor made her a reliable (and sought after)

community volunteer. At the Pennington Presbyterian Church, she was Clerk of

Session, served on multiple committees, and was always ready to help with a meal or

other community project. She was a member of the Delaware Valley Unit of the Herb

Society of America, and a Cub Scout leader for David and a den of mischievous boys.

And of course, she joined the church choir. Music was always part of her life. She

played in a recorder ensemble and sang in summer musical productions at Washington

Crossing State Park. Nancy and David got their first experience on stage when they

sang with their mother in the chorus for The Music Man.

While her children would agree that she was the best mom ever, Bev was not one to stay

at home once said children were school-aged. "I just really like to work," she would say.

She liked the people, the challenges, the problem-solving, and the satisfaction of a job

well done. Bev's work life led in many directions, including jobs as a pre-school teacher,

for Upward Bound, for a company that evaluated ski resort safety, and more.

Most significant was her position as Executive Administrative Secretary for the

Construction Industry Advancement Fund and the Associated General Contractors of

New Jersey. As the first woman to hold the position, she was often the only woman in

the room. Her competence and good nature, however, soon won over any reluctant

members. Her job also connected her with the local Women in Construction chapters.

Bev retired from many years at AGC in 1992, traveling with Ed to Lancaster, England,

for a year-long sabbatical at St. Martins College. Once again, she made the most of the

opportunity for adventure, traveling to Norway, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Wales, and

throughout England—she especially loved the Lake District. As usual, Bev got

involved, joining a quilting group, volunteering for OxFam, and most important to her,

establishing friendships that continued for the rest of her life.

In 1997, after the birth of their first grandchild near Boston, Bev and Ed moved to Cape

Cod. Bev had always wanted to live near the ocean, and fell in love with Millway Beach

and the harbor. For 15 years they lived in Barnstable Village, and moved to

Heatherwood in Yarmouth Port in 2010.

As you would expect, Bev dove into life on Cape Cod. She volunteered at the Cancer

Thrift Shop in Barnstable, with Eventide Arts, and with the local chapter of the service

organization, P.E.O. International. Bev was deeply involved with Dennis Union Church

and Church Women United. Of course, Bev joined the church choir, WomenSong, a

madrigal group, and played in the Pilgrim Church handbell choir in Harwich.

Bev made the most of living on the Cape. She and Ed volunteered at the Wellfleet

Audubon Preserve, participated in the Hawk Watch at Pilgrim's Heights, and the

Horseshoe Crab census on Sandy Neck. She enjoyed sharing places she'd found on the

cape with their children and grandchildren, who thought it grand that they'd retired to

such a beautiful place.

At a celebration for their 40th anniversary, Ed gave Bev a card that read "Fairy tales do

come true." How lucky we are to have shared so many years with her! She enchanted

our lives on a daily basis. She brought so many of you, our friends, into our world.

We invite you to join us in celebrating her life by singing a song, admiring a beautiful

flower, or doing something kind for someone else.

In gratitude, from her husband of 70 years, Edward F. Brink (Yarmouth Port);

her three children and their spouses: Nancy Sue (and Steve) of Berkeley, CA, David

Oliver (and Kathy), and Jonathan Edward (and Angela);

and her five very special grandchildren: David/DJ (Vancouver, Canada), Scott (Austin,

TX), Nicholas (Rochester, NY), and Alexander and Charlotte (Barnstable, MA).

To Honor Beverly Brink

If you would like to honor Bev, we ask, in lieu of flowers, that you donate in her name

to a food bank or other program that supports families in need. We support the Hands

of Hope Food Pantry on Cape Cod, but if you would prefer, please donate in her name

to an organization that serves your community. You can designate donations for Hands

of Hope made to the Dennis Union Church or through the Cape Cod Council of

Churches.

Obituary lovingly written by the family of Bev Brink