Obituary of Beverley Patricia Kearley

KEARLEY: Beverley Patricia Kearley (née Keating) of Brandon passed away suddenly on Friday, April 16, 2010 at the age of 55 years. Bev was born December 13, 1954 in St. John's, Newfoundland and was the first of five children born to Anna and Patrick Keating. Only 3 pounds at birth, she then thrived and spent her early years with her loving family in Long Harbour, Newfoundland. It must have been hard for Bev to leave her home to move to St. John's; but she had a calling, a vocation, to become a nurse and healer. She entered the nursing program at Memorial University of Newfoundland and in 1977 graduated with both her BN and BSc. Graduation week was a whirlwind experience for Bev. Not only did she graduate with two degrees, but the same week she departed Newfoundland to follow the other love of her life, Cliff Kearley, who was moving to Shilo to work as a civilian with the military. They married soon after and Bev found work in acute psychiatry at the Brandon Mental Health Centre. Their son, Clifton, was born in 1983 and became the center of Bev's world. Sadly, Bev and Cliff Sr. took different paths in life. Bev, ever strong and resilient, found renewed purpose building a future for herself and her son. From 1977 until her death, Bev was employed in many nursing roles within the Brandon Regional Health Authority. Most recently, Bev was the Liaison Nurse for the Westman Crisis Service. In a sense, she finished where she began her nursing career - in mental health. Her accomplishments are too numerous to mention. She was a tireless and dedicated provider of quality care and developed programs, such as Wound Care, that are still in place today. In 1998, her achievements were formally recognized when she received the Excellence in Nursing Education award from MARN. This month, Bev won the Complaint Free World award - she had not voiced a complaint of any kind for 54 days! In fact, this was probably easy for her, as she was naturally a person who never complained, nor said an unkind word about anyone. Bev had the ability to view problems as opportunities. With her endless curiosity for all things scientific and medical, combined with a passion for high standards and accountability, Bev enriched the lives of those who knew her and left a lasting mark on the community she served. Bev was many things to many people. Her death gives us pause to recall her many roles and the impact that she had on our lives. Bev was a daughter, a mother, a sister, a friend, a colleague and an educator. Bev loved cats and cards, Elvis and Red Lobster. She danced on tables, mastered Sudoku and sang karaoke. Bev loved stuffed mushrooms, turkey neck and heart soup, popcorn, baked apples and Jigs dinners. She was funny, hard-working, strong-willed and devoted to her family, her friends, her work and her community. Left to mourn are her beloved son, Clifton, and daughter-in-law, Deana, who brought sunshine into her life. Among the many others left to mourn are her mother, Anna Keating, siblings Keith (Eileen) Keating, Darlene (Wade) Eggers, Victoria Clark, Darrell Keating and her nieces and nephews Adam, Alex, Leah, Carla, Rheyna, Keith, Jay and Lori. Bev was predeceased by her father, Patrick J. Keating and her former husband, Clifton Kearley. Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Augustine's Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, April 22, 2010 with Fr. Dominic Yuen as Celebrant. Bev's family gratefully acknowledges the outpouring of support from her friends and colleagues. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Bev may be made to the Brandon Regional Health Centre Foundation, 150 McTavish Avenue East, Brandon, MB, R7A 2B3 or to the Heart & Stroke Foundation, Unit 3-824-18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 5B7.