Beverly Eckles Simms Davenport
TEMPE – Beverly Eckles Simms Davenport of Tempe, AZ was a caring wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She left this world for her next journey on February 20th, 2021 at the age of 85. Beverly fought hard against an aggressive cancer for the year leading to her passing.
Surviving Beverly are husband Bob, sons and daughters-in-law Michael (Marlene), Stephen (Ellen), David (Mara), former daughter-in-law Annetta, 7 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren who always held a warm place in her heart.
Beverly was born to W. LeRoy and Doris Simms on March 31, 1935, in Bastrop, LA. After graduating from high school in Longview, WA, she attended the University of Idaho where she met her husband of 64 years, Bob Davenport. Beverly was an avid reader and that passion led to a Masters degree in Library Science and an enjoyable career as a librarian and teacher at the All Saints Episcopal Day School in Phoenix. She and Bob loved spending summers at their family cabin in Forest Lakes, AZ, where she took great pleasure in caring for their garden. Beverly and Bob travelled extensively and managed to set foot on all seven continents. Beverly was blessed with strong convictions and boundless love for her family and always met the challenge of doing what needed to be done. She loved to scour recipe magazines to find the next delicious creation, and she treated many lucky folks to wonderful meals over the years. Beverly always enjoyed a bucket of coins to feed the slots while she and Bob spent time in the Nevada casinos. Beverly found great strength and peace in the Lord; she and Bob attended the Arizona Community Church in Tempe. Her greatest joy was spending time with people and family that she loved. Those visits and her southern traditions will last long in our memories.
We will miss Beverly (Mom) tremendously, but we are comforted by our belief that she is reunited with her parents and her other loved ones in heaven.
A memorial service will be held at a later date to celebrate her long and happy life.