Beverley Ann McConechy was born to Jack and Alma Young in Cranbrook, BC on February 10, 1930 and passed away peacefully on February 28, 2017. She is survived by her son Brad Chapman and her daughter-in-law Sandra, her sister Marcia Young and her partner Lloyd Billsborough, her nephew Philip Houston and his wife Sandra. She is also survived by her nieces Nicole Dunsdon and Kelly Dunsdon, with whom she had a very close relationship, as well as other nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her loving husband of 37 years, Colin McConechy (May 2015), her brothers John and Ronald Young, and her sister Helen Snowsell. Two years after she was born, Beverely and her family moved to Penticton, BC where she grew up, attended school, and was chosen Penticton’s 1st Peach Queen - Queen Val Vedette the 1st. When she was 18, she moved to Vancouver where she managed a women’s retail clothing store before moving back to Penticton. In the early 1950’s she married John Bella. Brad was born, and they started their life in a small vet’s house in Penticton. During the early 1960’s she commenced her work in journalism as the Women’s Editor for the Penticton Herald.
In 1965 she married Dave Chapman and moved to Kelowna to raise their blended family. After Dave’s sudden passing in 1975 she went back to work in the newspaper industry and was the Women’s Editor of The Kelowna Daily Courier, and wrote a weekly editorial column titled On The Level where she recounted stories about her many life experiences and commented on interesting and sometimes, controversial matters of the day. It was while working at The Courier she met Colin, who also worked for the Thomson Newspaper Group. They were married and had a wonderful life together living in Toronto, ON and Victoria BC, and eventually finding their way back to the Okanagan where they settled in Summerland, enjoying many wonderful years together amongst long-time close friends and family.
Beverley saw beauty in everything - flower gardens, fashion, home design and décor, and had a strict attention to detail. She was beautiful and always looked her best no matter what the occasion. She has been described as being “gracious” and memorable”. She enjoyed old-fashioned graces and practiced them throughout her life. She enjoyed travelling, needlepoint, and knitting and many have received her knitted afghans as gifts over the years. She was a true homemaker and enjoyed renovating and decorating the homes she lived in to her high standards. She was a great cook and there are fond memories of wonderful family meals, both on holidays and regular Sunday night dinners. She was curious and could be counted on to open up conversation with anyone in her presence - even perfect strangers she happened to meet in a grocery check-out line or at an airport. She was never afraid of speaking her mind, and you always knew her thoughts on any subject, be it fashion, home decorating, or politics. She loved to “get in the last word” - a trait she held on to right to the end.
Many thanks to the kind staff of Prairie Valley Lodge in Summerland, and The Village at Mill Creek in Kelowna for the kindness, care, and attention they provided for her over the past two years.
A private family service will be held, with interment to follow in Lakeview Cemetery in Penticton.
Condolences may be directed to the family through providencefuneralhomes.com 250-494-7752.
Providence
“Every Life Tells A Story”