On July 13 2020, we lost our beloved mother.
Barbara Beale fought a tough battle with grace, strength and courage, but finally went to be with the Lord.
Barbara, or “Bobbie” as everyone knew her, was born May 31 1940. She was a daughter of the late Alfred and Margaret VanReenan.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Lewis Beale; her brother “Roger” VanReenan; and sons-in-law, Tommy Haas and Kevin Godwin.
She is survived by five daughters, Teresa Kuhlken, of Katy, Texas, Tammy Haas, of Stephens City, Virginia, Toni Biggs, of Evans, Georgia, Tena Bennett, of Marlinton, and Tabatha Godwin, of Greensboro, North Carolina; brothers, Gerald VanReenan, of Marlinton, and Donnie VanReenan, of Maryland; sisters, Patricia Friel, of Browns Summit, North Carolina, and Vonda Fineman, of Reno, Nevada; sister-in-law, Glenda VanReenan, of Marlinton; 11 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
Bobbie lived in Marlinton until August 2019, when she moved to Greensboro, North Carolina to live with her daughter, Tabatha Godwin.
Bobbie just found out in May that she had Stage 4 untreatable cancer. The cancer had spread and all the medical professionals could do was keep her comfortable.
She took the news with courage and dignity. She never complained. She accepted her diagnosis and kept her sense of humor. When asked how she kept her sense of humor she said, “Well, why not? What else are you going to do?”
She was surrounded by her family the past two months. She had daily phone calls from those who could not visit her, because of the state of this crazy world. She was able to Skype or FaceTime with family who could not be there. She enjoyed all of the visits and phone calls.
When asked how she was, she would reply, “Oh, pretty good.”
That was her answer on her last phone call that she was able to have.
Bobbie loved kids and, in the last weeks, she was surrounded by many of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They always made her smile.
Bobbie’s body will be cremated and a memorial service will be held in Marlinton at a later date.
