Beverly Ann Brown was born in Orange, New Jersey, to Dr. Nelson R. and Gladys Kinney Brown on March 11, 1936; she was the youngest of three children, with older brothers Richard and George. The family lost their husband/father when Beverly was only two months old. Their mother Gladys capably stepped up and managed her husband’s optometry business to support the family, and the children’s maternal grandfather, Frank M. Kinney (Sr.), became the “father figure” to the family.
Beverly shared wonderful childhood memories of multi-family camping expeditions with all of her Kinney aunts and cousins on the shores of the Hudson River; vacations “on the boardwalk” at the Jersey Shore in its heyday; and huge gatherings for Sunday dinners, all headed up by Grandpa Frank and Grandma “Clarkie” Kinney.
After graduating from her local West Orange High School in New Jersey, Bev attended Endicott College in Massachusetts--at that time an all-women’s school--and graduating from Berkeley Secretarial School.
In 1957, Bev married Harry Lawler, and they relocated to Niagara, New York, where their son and only child, Stephen, was born in 1959. Bev was a devoted mother and homemaker, but the marriage ended in 1985.
Later that year, Beverly married a career railroad man, Dan Fialkowski, in Youngstown, New York, where they lived for some years. They were married in the town’s picturesque vintage church, St. John’s Episcopal. Bev developed a deep attachment to the little church—it was where she said she felt the most spiritual, and she would slip inside to sit alone when she was troubled, and always felt enveloped in peace and comfort. It truly became her “sacred place.” It was also in Youngstown where she met her “Best Friend Forever,” another woman with the maiden name of Beverly Brown—they both considered finding each other and the coincidence of their names to be “kismet.”
Beverly and Dan enjoyed years of ballroom and swing dancing together, retiring to Florida in the mid-1990’s, although she was very torn about moving so far from her son, and even more so after 2000 with the birth of his daughter, Mackenzie—her only grandchild—whom she and Dan adored but could only see occasionally.
It seems that in every family, there is one central person who keeps track of everyone else, and Bev fulfilled this role in her family, keeping up contacts and generously sharing family photos, documents, stories and history with all who were interested. She was the “glue” of what became a far-flung extended family.
Beverly was loving, fun, and kind, a bright spot to all who knew her—much like her email name, “Lemon Drop”—a petite, sunny bundle of energy. Nobody’s birthday went by without a card from Bev, and handmade at that. When family members were ill, Beverly was on hand as much as possible to bring cheer and comfort, give caregivers a respite, and to provide a ready ear to listen, advice to be dispensed, and a shoulder to cry on.
An avid gardener, Bev spent whole days in the punishing Florida sun to maintain her park-like gardens and yard. This was her pride and joy, along with the ever-tidy interior of her small but immaculate home. She enjoyed cooking and trying/sharing new recipes. Domestic as this sounds, Bev had a fun and sometimes mischievously humorous social side, and enjoyed her neighbors and her weekly water-aerobics/"lunch ladies" group.
Bev was taken from us on May 17, 2015; she had struggled with emphysema for some time. She is survived by her husband, Dan, of Palm Coast, Florida; her son Steven Lawler and granddaughter Mackenzie of New York; her brother George A. Brown of Centennial, Colorado; and her dear friend Beverly Brown Liger of Youngstown, New York.
Although proud of her family’s Mayflower history and space reserved for her at the historic Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, she chose for her final rest her “sacred place” at St. John’s in Youngstown, New York. May it continue to bring her comfort and peace.
© May, 2015, Clair Josten Kinney
Beverly shared wonderful childhood memories of multi-family camping expeditions with all of her Kinney aunts and cousins on the shores of the Hudson River; vacations “on the boardwalk” at the Jersey Shore in its heyday; and huge gatherings for Sunday dinners, all headed up by Grandpa Frank and Grandma “Clarkie” Kinney.
After graduating from her local West Orange High School in New Jersey, Bev attended Endicott College in Massachusetts--at that time an all-women’s school--and graduating from Berkeley Secretarial School.
In 1957, Bev married Harry Lawler, and they relocated to Niagara, New York, where their son and only child, Stephen, was born in 1959. Bev was a devoted mother and homemaker, but the marriage ended in 1985.
Later that year, Beverly married a career railroad man, Dan Fialkowski, in Youngstown, New York, where they lived for some years. They were married in the town’s picturesque vintage church, St. John’s Episcopal. Bev developed a deep attachment to the little church—it was where she said she felt the most spiritual, and she would slip inside to sit alone when she was troubled, and always felt enveloped in peace and comfort. It truly became her “sacred place.” It was also in Youngstown where she met her “Best Friend Forever,” another woman with the maiden name of Beverly Brown—they both considered finding each other and the coincidence of their names to be “kismet.”
Beverly and Dan enjoyed years of ballroom and swing dancing together, retiring to Florida in the mid-1990’s, although she was very torn about moving so far from her son, and even more so after 2000 with the birth of his daughter, Mackenzie—her only grandchild—whom she and Dan adored but could only see occasionally.
It seems that in every family, there is one central person who keeps track of everyone else, and Bev fulfilled this role in her family, keeping up contacts and generously sharing family photos, documents, stories and history with all who were interested. She was the “glue” of what became a far-flung extended family.
Beverly was loving, fun, and kind, a bright spot to all who knew her—much like her email name, “Lemon Drop”—a petite, sunny bundle of energy. Nobody’s birthday went by without a card from Bev, and handmade at that. When family members were ill, Beverly was on hand as much as possible to bring cheer and comfort, give caregivers a respite, and to provide a ready ear to listen, advice to be dispensed, and a shoulder to cry on.
An avid gardener, Bev spent whole days in the punishing Florida sun to maintain her park-like gardens and yard. This was her pride and joy, along with the ever-tidy interior of her small but immaculate home. She enjoyed cooking and trying/sharing new recipes. Domestic as this sounds, Bev had a fun and sometimes mischievously humorous social side, and enjoyed her neighbors and her weekly water-aerobics/"lunch ladies" group.
Bev was taken from us on May 17, 2015; she had struggled with emphysema for some time. She is survived by her husband, Dan, of Palm Coast, Florida; her son Steven Lawler and granddaughter Mackenzie of New York; her brother George A. Brown of Centennial, Colorado; and her dear friend Beverly Brown Liger of Youngstown, New York.
Although proud of her family’s Mayflower history and space reserved for her at the historic Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, she chose for her final rest her “sacred place” at St. John’s in Youngstown, New York. May it continue to bring her comfort and peace.
© May, 2015, Clair Josten Kinney
Beverly Ann Brown was born in Orange, New Jersey, to Dr. Nelson R. and Gladys Kinney Brown on March 11, 1936; she was the youngest of three children, with older brothers Richard and George. The family lost their husband/father when Beverly was only two months old. Their mother Gladys capably stepped up and managed her husband’s optometry business to support the family, and the children’s maternal grandfather, Frank M. Kinney (Sr.), became the “father figure” to the family.
Beverly shared wonderful childhood memories of multi-family camping expeditions with all of her Kinney aunts and cousins on the shores of the Hudson River; vacations “on the boardwalk” at the Jersey Shore in its heyday; and huge gatherings for Sunday dinners, all headed up by Grandpa Frank and Grandma “Clarkie” Kinney.
After graduating from her local West Orange High School in New Jersey, Bev attended Endicott College in Massachusetts--at that time an all-women’s school--and graduating from Berkeley Secretarial School.
In 1957, Bev married Harry Lawler, and they relocated to Niagara, New York, where their son and only child, Stephen, was born in 1959. Bev was a devoted mother and homemaker, but the marriage ended in 1985.
Later that year, Beverly married a career railroad man, Dan Fialkowski, in Youngstown, New York, where they lived for some years. They were married in the town’s picturesque vintage church, St. John’s Episcopal. Bev developed a deep attachment to the little church—it was where she said she felt the most spiritual, and she would slip inside to sit alone when she was troubled, and always felt enveloped in peace and comfort. It truly became her “sacred place.” It was also in Youngstown where she met her “Best Friend Forever,” another woman with the maiden name of Beverly Brown—they both considered finding each other and the coincidence of their names to be “kismet.”
Beverly and Dan enjoyed years of ballroom and swing dancing together, retiring to Florida in the mid-1990’s, although she was very torn about moving so far from her son, and even more so after 2000 with the birth of his daughter, Mackenzie—her only grandchild—whom she and Dan adored but could only see occasionally.
It seems that in every family, there is one central person who keeps track of everyone else, and Bev fulfilled this role in her family, keeping up contacts and generously sharing family photos, documents, stories and history with all who were interested. She was the “glue” of what became a far-flung extended family.
Beverly was loving, fun, and kind, a bright spot to all who knew her—much like her email name, “Lemon Drop”—a petite, sunny bundle of energy. Nobody’s birthday went by without a card from Bev, and handmade at that. When family members were ill, Beverly was on hand as much as possible to bring cheer and comfort, give caregivers a respite, and to provide a ready ear to listen, advice to be dispensed, and a shoulder to cry on.
An avid gardener, Bev spent whole days in the punishing Florida sun to maintain her park-like gardens and yard. This was her pride and joy, along with the ever-tidy interior of her small but immaculate home. She enjoyed cooking and trying/sharing new recipes. Domestic as this sounds, Bev had a fun and sometimes mischievously humorous social side, and enjoyed her neighbors and her weekly water-aerobics/"lunch ladies" group.
Bev was taken from us on May 17, 2015; she had struggled with emphysema for some time. She is survived by her husband, Dan, of Palm Coast, Florida; her son Steven Lawler and granddaughter Mackenzie of New York; her brother George A. Brown of Centennial, Colorado; and her dear friend Beverly Brown Liger of Youngstown, New York.
Although proud of her family’s Mayflower history and space reserved for her at the historic Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, she chose for her final rest her “sacred place” at St. John’s in Youngstown, New York. May it continue to bring her comfort and peace.
© May, 2015, Clair Josten Kinney
Beverly shared wonderful childhood memories of multi-family camping expeditions with all of her Kinney aunts and cousins on the shores of the Hudson River; vacations “on the boardwalk” at the Jersey Shore in its heyday; and huge gatherings for Sunday dinners, all headed up by Grandpa Frank and Grandma “Clarkie” Kinney.
After graduating from her local West Orange High School in New Jersey, Bev attended Endicott College in Massachusetts--at that time an all-women’s school--and graduating from Berkeley Secretarial School.
In 1957, Bev married Harry Lawler, and they relocated to Niagara, New York, where their son and only child, Stephen, was born in 1959. Bev was a devoted mother and homemaker, but the marriage ended in 1985.
Later that year, Beverly married a career railroad man, Dan Fialkowski, in Youngstown, New York, where they lived for some years. They were married in the town’s picturesque vintage church, St. John’s Episcopal. Bev developed a deep attachment to the little church—it was where she said she felt the most spiritual, and she would slip inside to sit alone when she was troubled, and always felt enveloped in peace and comfort. It truly became her “sacred place.” It was also in Youngstown where she met her “Best Friend Forever,” another woman with the maiden name of Beverly Brown—they both considered finding each other and the coincidence of their names to be “kismet.”
Beverly and Dan enjoyed years of ballroom and swing dancing together, retiring to Florida in the mid-1990’s, although she was very torn about moving so far from her son, and even more so after 2000 with the birth of his daughter, Mackenzie—her only grandchild—whom she and Dan adored but could only see occasionally.
It seems that in every family, there is one central person who keeps track of everyone else, and Bev fulfilled this role in her family, keeping up contacts and generously sharing family photos, documents, stories and history with all who were interested. She was the “glue” of what became a far-flung extended family.
Beverly was loving, fun, and kind, a bright spot to all who knew her—much like her email name, “Lemon Drop”—a petite, sunny bundle of energy. Nobody’s birthday went by without a card from Bev, and handmade at that. When family members were ill, Beverly was on hand as much as possible to bring cheer and comfort, give caregivers a respite, and to provide a ready ear to listen, advice to be dispensed, and a shoulder to cry on.
An avid gardener, Bev spent whole days in the punishing Florida sun to maintain her park-like gardens and yard. This was her pride and joy, along with the ever-tidy interior of her small but immaculate home. She enjoyed cooking and trying/sharing new recipes. Domestic as this sounds, Bev had a fun and sometimes mischievously humorous social side, and enjoyed her neighbors and her weekly water-aerobics/"lunch ladies" group.
Bev was taken from us on May 17, 2015; she had struggled with emphysema for some time. She is survived by her husband, Dan, of Palm Coast, Florida; her son Steven Lawler and granddaughter Mackenzie of New York; her brother George A. Brown of Centennial, Colorado; and her dear friend Beverly Brown Liger of Youngstown, New York.
Although proud of her family’s Mayflower history and space reserved for her at the historic Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, she chose for her final rest her “sacred place” at St. John’s in Youngstown, New York. May it continue to bring her comfort and peace.
© May, 2015, Clair Josten Kinney
Bio by: C Kinney
Family Members
See more Fialkowski or Brown memorials in:
- Saint John's Episcopal Memorial Gardens Fialkowski or Brown
- Youngstown Fialkowski or Brown
- Niagara County Fialkowski or Brown
- New York Fialkowski or Brown
- USA Fialkowski or Brown
- Find a Grave Fialkowski or Brown
