DAVIS, Beryl Alexis (nee Fergusson)
Peacefully on July 23, 2015, Beryl passed away shortly after her 71st birthday.
Born in Glace Bay, N.S. to Marguerite and the late Dr. Donald Fergusson.
Beryl was a graduate of Morrison Glace Bay High School 1961. She received her undergraduate degree from Cape Breton University and MA in political science from Dalhousie University. She was so proud to focus on her Cape Breton community through her thesis, Restructuring Local Government in Industrial Cape Breton. Beryl spent 10 years as an interviewer for Statistics Canada. She was a New Dawn economic development co-ordinator under Fr. Greg MacLeod. She was the director of CBU Art Gallery and was honoured to be the custodian of the Picasso handbook. Beryl was president of the Cape Breton Artists Association and author of the Cape Breton Artists Association Directory, which profiled more than one hundred Cape Breton artists, including a brief description of each artist along with a visual representation of their works. She co-edited the economic development book, Regions at the Crossroads, with Dr. Mike Foster of Saint Mary’s University. Beryl wrote the biography of William Charles McKinnon, author of Midnight Murders, which she also assisted with the research and republication of the novel with Gwendolyn Davies of Dalhousie University.
She was privileged to have assisted in lecturing duties under Dr. James Guy of the political science department at CBU. She also lectured on the history of art in the fine arts department.
Beryl was a capable artist herself and presented her works throughout the community, her oil paintings often portraying the familiar Cape Breton landscape.
Besides her mother Marguerite, Beryl is survived by her loving husband of 52 years, Eddy; daughters, Donna (Doug), Barbara Musgrave (Cecil), Allison (Salem); grandsons, Matthew, Alex and Ibrahim; sister Barbara MacLean (Charles ‘Kip’); and many beloved nieces and nephews.
There will be a time of visitation with the family on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, from 12-2 p.m. at Patten Funeral Home, 71 Union St., Glace Bay, N.S. A service to celebrate Beryl’s life will be held at 2 p.m. in Patten Chapel and a reception to follow.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a charity of one’s choice.
Online condolences to www.pattenfuneral.com.