Beverly L. Ballagh McGregor, born May 25th, 1914, in Maricopa, California, as the daughter of Minnie Lucille Campbell and Ehrnest Ellsworth Ballagh, this gracious lady had the strong spirit of California pioneers, Presbyterian missionaries, and Highland Scots in her blood.
Her family story was one of immigrants both sailing around Cape Horn and riding horseback from Athens, Tennessee, to Texas, then traveling by wagon train to eventually come together in the excitement of California. Always surrounded by the love of her younger sister, Evalyn, and her older brother, Ehrnest, she was creative, determined, and upbeat about life.
Since her father, a 1902 Stanford graduate, believed in higher education, she was the proud graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Class of 1937. There she was a member of the oldest collegiate women's honorary society Prytanean, as well as Theta Sigma Pi, The Glee Club, Phrateres, the Executive Board of Women's Counseling, and graduated with an undergraduate degree from the School of Letters and Science in Psychology.
Pre-dating women's liberation, she strived to gain respect as a women executive with a career, beginning as a fashion-advertising writer and later, and a fashion editor. While doing so, she overcame cultural norms of the day, such as needing to be escorted daily to her own executive office. Turning these challenges into passions, she never lost her love of fashion, music, art, sports, or learning throughout her life.
Yet her professional life took an abrupt change when the manly, handsome naval officer, Robert Work McGregor, decided she was, "the love of his life," on just their second date. A determined Scot who had worked in Chicago and New York, Robert pursued her by trying to sweep her off her feet while dining in famous restaurants like Ernie's in San Francisco. She finally agreed, and they were married on December 19, 1942, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in San Francisco. Becoming Robert's wife, she altered her career course to instead become a dedicated wife and mother of two sons, Robert Ballagh McGregor and Andrew Campbell McGregor. Leaving her beloved California in 1946, they moved to Chicago and then Dallas to nurture their new life together.
With the city still switching from farming and ranching at that time, she missed the culture she had grown to love in her professional life in San Francisco. Calling on her pioneer roots, she sought out sources for her interests or helped to build them if she couldn't find them. Active in a range of interests from Old City Park, the Walnut Hill School, Cub Scouts, Beverly, or "Bev," was one of the founders of the Dallas book club, The Lady Day Reviewers, and was awarded The National Alda Edwards Laughlin Award for her work in The Assistance League of Dallas, retiring as President Emeritus. She was also an active supporter of the Dallas Symphony and the Brookhaven Tennis Club as a player.
Regardless of setting, she always brought a welcoming graciousness and bright sense of enthusiasm to those around her. Throughout life she happily welcomed her family's friends and neighbors into her heart and home. Together, with her engaging husband, she brought her polite determination and an enthusiastic sense of what is possible to her sons Robert and Andrew, her granddaughter, Kelly, and to their families and friends. Truly, family and friends were Bev's joy.
In later life, she renewed her spirit by keeping up with both the adventures and progress of grandson Charles McGregor and great-grandsons Alexander, Mitchell, Shane, and Justin Reed. The thrill of watching these boys grow reminded her of her own excitement while growing up surrounded by cousins from her 7 uncles and 6 aunties.
Bev and her Bob also treasured their relationships outside of their family, making lasting friendships of every age, especially in their treasured neighborhoods on Manning Lane and later, the Edgemere. To their way of thinking, each relationship was special and unique because they honestly respected every individual for who he or she was as a person, and what they shared together. Their younger friends kept them looking forward, and their older friends reminded them of what extraordinary changes and good fortune they had already seen in their long and happy lives.
The grace and good fortune of Beverly 's life is most meaningfully told through the love of those who knew her; we ask that in lieu of flowers, each person pay their respect by sending their own stories, remembrances or pictures of Bev to beverly. [email protected] or Kelly McGregor Reed, 3108 Beverly Drive, Dallas, TX, 75205, to be assembled and then shared with family and friends. If preferred, one may also send contributions to The Assistance League of Dallas.
While Beverly considered her friends and family a celebration of life each day, a Visitation is scheduled on Friday, January 11th, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, January 12th, at 12:00 PM. Both services will be held at Sparkman-Hillcrest, 7405 W. Northwest Highway, Dallas, Texas, 75225.
Dallas Morning News, The (TX), January 10, 2013
Her family story was one of immigrants both sailing around Cape Horn and riding horseback from Athens, Tennessee, to Texas, then traveling by wagon train to eventually come together in the excitement of California. Always surrounded by the love of her younger sister, Evalyn, and her older brother, Ehrnest, she was creative, determined, and upbeat about life.
Since her father, a 1902 Stanford graduate, believed in higher education, she was the proud graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Class of 1937. There she was a member of the oldest collegiate women's honorary society Prytanean, as well as Theta Sigma Pi, The Glee Club, Phrateres, the Executive Board of Women's Counseling, and graduated with an undergraduate degree from the School of Letters and Science in Psychology.
Pre-dating women's liberation, she strived to gain respect as a women executive with a career, beginning as a fashion-advertising writer and later, and a fashion editor. While doing so, she overcame cultural norms of the day, such as needing to be escorted daily to her own executive office. Turning these challenges into passions, she never lost her love of fashion, music, art, sports, or learning throughout her life.
Yet her professional life took an abrupt change when the manly, handsome naval officer, Robert Work McGregor, decided she was, "the love of his life," on just their second date. A determined Scot who had worked in Chicago and New York, Robert pursued her by trying to sweep her off her feet while dining in famous restaurants like Ernie's in San Francisco. She finally agreed, and they were married on December 19, 1942, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in San Francisco. Becoming Robert's wife, she altered her career course to instead become a dedicated wife and mother of two sons, Robert Ballagh McGregor and Andrew Campbell McGregor. Leaving her beloved California in 1946, they moved to Chicago and then Dallas to nurture their new life together.
With the city still switching from farming and ranching at that time, she missed the culture she had grown to love in her professional life in San Francisco. Calling on her pioneer roots, she sought out sources for her interests or helped to build them if she couldn't find them. Active in a range of interests from Old City Park, the Walnut Hill School, Cub Scouts, Beverly, or "Bev," was one of the founders of the Dallas book club, The Lady Day Reviewers, and was awarded The National Alda Edwards Laughlin Award for her work in The Assistance League of Dallas, retiring as President Emeritus. She was also an active supporter of the Dallas Symphony and the Brookhaven Tennis Club as a player.
Regardless of setting, she always brought a welcoming graciousness and bright sense of enthusiasm to those around her. Throughout life she happily welcomed her family's friends and neighbors into her heart and home. Together, with her engaging husband, she brought her polite determination and an enthusiastic sense of what is possible to her sons Robert and Andrew, her granddaughter, Kelly, and to their families and friends. Truly, family and friends were Bev's joy.
In later life, she renewed her spirit by keeping up with both the adventures and progress of grandson Charles McGregor and great-grandsons Alexander, Mitchell, Shane, and Justin Reed. The thrill of watching these boys grow reminded her of her own excitement while growing up surrounded by cousins from her 7 uncles and 6 aunties.
Bev and her Bob also treasured their relationships outside of their family, making lasting friendships of every age, especially in their treasured neighborhoods on Manning Lane and later, the Edgemere. To their way of thinking, each relationship was special and unique because they honestly respected every individual for who he or she was as a person, and what they shared together. Their younger friends kept them looking forward, and their older friends reminded them of what extraordinary changes and good fortune they had already seen in their long and happy lives.
The grace and good fortune of Beverly 's life is most meaningfully told through the love of those who knew her; we ask that in lieu of flowers, each person pay their respect by sending their own stories, remembrances or pictures of Bev to beverly. [email protected] or Kelly McGregor Reed, 3108 Beverly Drive, Dallas, TX, 75205, to be assembled and then shared with family and friends. If preferred, one may also send contributions to The Assistance League of Dallas.
While Beverly considered her friends and family a celebration of life each day, a Visitation is scheduled on Friday, January 11th, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, January 12th, at 12:00 PM. Both services will be held at Sparkman-Hillcrest, 7405 W. Northwest Highway, Dallas, Texas, 75225.
Dallas Morning News, The (TX), January 10, 2013
Beverly L. Ballagh McGregor, born May 25th, 1914, in Maricopa, California, as the daughter of Minnie Lucille Campbell and Ehrnest Ellsworth Ballagh, this gracious lady had the strong spirit of California pioneers, Presbyterian missionaries, and Highland Scots in her blood.
Her family story was one of immigrants both sailing around Cape Horn and riding horseback from Athens, Tennessee, to Texas, then traveling by wagon train to eventually come together in the excitement of California. Always surrounded by the love of her younger sister, Evalyn, and her older brother, Ehrnest, she was creative, determined, and upbeat about life.
Since her father, a 1902 Stanford graduate, believed in higher education, she was the proud graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Class of 1937. There she was a member of the oldest collegiate women's honorary society Prytanean, as well as Theta Sigma Pi, The Glee Club, Phrateres, the Executive Board of Women's Counseling, and graduated with an undergraduate degree from the School of Letters and Science in Psychology.
Pre-dating women's liberation, she strived to gain respect as a women executive with a career, beginning as a fashion-advertising writer and later, and a fashion editor. While doing so, she overcame cultural norms of the day, such as needing to be escorted daily to her own executive office. Turning these challenges into passions, she never lost her love of fashion, music, art, sports, or learning throughout her life.
Yet her professional life took an abrupt change when the manly, handsome naval officer, Robert Work McGregor, decided she was, "the love of his life," on just their second date. A determined Scot who had worked in Chicago and New York, Robert pursued her by trying to sweep her off her feet while dining in famous restaurants like Ernie's in San Francisco. She finally agreed, and they were married on December 19, 1942, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in San Francisco. Becoming Robert's wife, she altered her career course to instead become a dedicated wife and mother of two sons, Robert Ballagh McGregor and Andrew Campbell McGregor. Leaving her beloved California in 1946, they moved to Chicago and then Dallas to nurture their new life together.
With the city still switching from farming and ranching at that time, she missed the culture she had grown to love in her professional life in San Francisco. Calling on her pioneer roots, she sought out sources for her interests or helped to build them if she couldn't find them. Active in a range of interests from Old City Park, the Walnut Hill School, Cub Scouts, Beverly, or "Bev," was one of the founders of the Dallas book club, The Lady Day Reviewers, and was awarded The National Alda Edwards Laughlin Award for her work in The Assistance League of Dallas, retiring as President Emeritus. She was also an active supporter of the Dallas Symphony and the Brookhaven Tennis Club as a player.
Regardless of setting, she always brought a welcoming graciousness and bright sense of enthusiasm to those around her. Throughout life she happily welcomed her family's friends and neighbors into her heart and home. Together, with her engaging husband, she brought her polite determination and an enthusiastic sense of what is possible to her sons Robert and Andrew, her granddaughter, Kelly, and to their families and friends. Truly, family and friends were Bev's joy.
In later life, she renewed her spirit by keeping up with both the adventures and progress of grandson Charles McGregor and great-grandsons Alexander, Mitchell, Shane, and Justin Reed. The thrill of watching these boys grow reminded her of her own excitement while growing up surrounded by cousins from her 7 uncles and 6 aunties.
Bev and her Bob also treasured their relationships outside of their family, making lasting friendships of every age, especially in their treasured neighborhoods on Manning Lane and later, the Edgemere. To their way of thinking, each relationship was special and unique because they honestly respected every individual for who he or she was as a person, and what they shared together. Their younger friends kept them looking forward, and their older friends reminded them of what extraordinary changes and good fortune they had already seen in their long and happy lives.
The grace and good fortune of Beverly 's life is most meaningfully told through the love of those who knew her; we ask that in lieu of flowers, each person pay their respect by sending their own stories, remembrances or pictures of Bev to beverly. [email protected] or Kelly McGregor Reed, 3108 Beverly Drive, Dallas, TX, 75205, to be assembled and then shared with family and friends. If preferred, one may also send contributions to The Assistance League of Dallas.
While Beverly considered her friends and family a celebration of life each day, a Visitation is scheduled on Friday, January 11th, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, January 12th, at 12:00 PM. Both services will be held at Sparkman-Hillcrest, 7405 W. Northwest Highway, Dallas, Texas, 75225.
Dallas Morning News, The (TX), January 10, 2013
Her family story was one of immigrants both sailing around Cape Horn and riding horseback from Athens, Tennessee, to Texas, then traveling by wagon train to eventually come together in the excitement of California. Always surrounded by the love of her younger sister, Evalyn, and her older brother, Ehrnest, she was creative, determined, and upbeat about life.
Since her father, a 1902 Stanford graduate, believed in higher education, she was the proud graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Class of 1937. There she was a member of the oldest collegiate women's honorary society Prytanean, as well as Theta Sigma Pi, The Glee Club, Phrateres, the Executive Board of Women's Counseling, and graduated with an undergraduate degree from the School of Letters and Science in Psychology.
Pre-dating women's liberation, she strived to gain respect as a women executive with a career, beginning as a fashion-advertising writer and later, and a fashion editor. While doing so, she overcame cultural norms of the day, such as needing to be escorted daily to her own executive office. Turning these challenges into passions, she never lost her love of fashion, music, art, sports, or learning throughout her life.
Yet her professional life took an abrupt change when the manly, handsome naval officer, Robert Work McGregor, decided she was, "the love of his life," on just their second date. A determined Scot who had worked in Chicago and New York, Robert pursued her by trying to sweep her off her feet while dining in famous restaurants like Ernie's in San Francisco. She finally agreed, and they were married on December 19, 1942, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in San Francisco. Becoming Robert's wife, she altered her career course to instead become a dedicated wife and mother of two sons, Robert Ballagh McGregor and Andrew Campbell McGregor. Leaving her beloved California in 1946, they moved to Chicago and then Dallas to nurture their new life together.
With the city still switching from farming and ranching at that time, she missed the culture she had grown to love in her professional life in San Francisco. Calling on her pioneer roots, she sought out sources for her interests or helped to build them if she couldn't find them. Active in a range of interests from Old City Park, the Walnut Hill School, Cub Scouts, Beverly, or "Bev," was one of the founders of the Dallas book club, The Lady Day Reviewers, and was awarded The National Alda Edwards Laughlin Award for her work in The Assistance League of Dallas, retiring as President Emeritus. She was also an active supporter of the Dallas Symphony and the Brookhaven Tennis Club as a player.
Regardless of setting, she always brought a welcoming graciousness and bright sense of enthusiasm to those around her. Throughout life she happily welcomed her family's friends and neighbors into her heart and home. Together, with her engaging husband, she brought her polite determination and an enthusiastic sense of what is possible to her sons Robert and Andrew, her granddaughter, Kelly, and to their families and friends. Truly, family and friends were Bev's joy.
In later life, she renewed her spirit by keeping up with both the adventures and progress of grandson Charles McGregor and great-grandsons Alexander, Mitchell, Shane, and Justin Reed. The thrill of watching these boys grow reminded her of her own excitement while growing up surrounded by cousins from her 7 uncles and 6 aunties.
Bev and her Bob also treasured their relationships outside of their family, making lasting friendships of every age, especially in their treasured neighborhoods on Manning Lane and later, the Edgemere. To their way of thinking, each relationship was special and unique because they honestly respected every individual for who he or she was as a person, and what they shared together. Their younger friends kept them looking forward, and their older friends reminded them of what extraordinary changes and good fortune they had already seen in their long and happy lives.
The grace and good fortune of Beverly 's life is most meaningfully told through the love of those who knew her; we ask that in lieu of flowers, each person pay their respect by sending their own stories, remembrances or pictures of Bev to beverly. [email protected] or Kelly McGregor Reed, 3108 Beverly Drive, Dallas, TX, 75205, to be assembled and then shared with family and friends. If preferred, one may also send contributions to The Assistance League of Dallas.
While Beverly considered her friends and family a celebration of life each day, a Visitation is scheduled on Friday, January 11th, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, January 12th, at 12:00 PM. Both services will be held at Sparkman-Hillcrest, 7405 W. Northwest Highway, Dallas, Texas, 75225.
Dallas Morning News, The (TX), January 10, 2013
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UC Berkeley, Class of 1937
Love of Robert's life
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