It seems fitting that as the birds return home singing their songs, as the trees begin to bud, as the crocuses start to peek up above the soil, testing the warmer air, and just as the rhododendrons and roses begin to think about waking up from the winter, Beatrice N. Louderback passed away so peacefully, surrounded by her family, just as she was throughout her life.
Spring was Bebe's favorite season. It is the season her beloved flowers returned, the season in which she could begin working in her prized garden, and the season of life, of which Bebe was so full.
She loved to live. Bebe had a zest for life that was undeniable. Everyone she met liked her, everyone she met laughed with her, and everyone she met, she loved in return. Bebe was positive, upbeat, optimistic, and fun: all of those envious personality traits which made her a fascinating storyteller, the life of every party, the sweep of fresh air in every room, and the woman at the center of so many people's lives.
For her children, she was a best friend, a co-parent and grandmother, and an extraordinary mentor. A woman ahead of her time, Bebe began a real estate career later in life, attending classes, obtaining her license, and along the way, learning how to deftly use computers and technology to her advantage. As a realtor she worked with Keller Williams, Kurfuss, Burgdorff, and Long and Foster Realty, and in 1989, she earned an award for Top Overall Producer of the Year. Throughout her life, she seized every opportunity to explore her interests and satisfy her creative and intellectual curiosity. She and her sister attended beauty school together so they could learn how to cut and color hair, a skill Bebe used for many years, most notably to give her grandson a rather distinctive bowl cut when he was young. She also pursued pottery, painting, sewing, and a long-standing commitment to health and fitness at the gym and in the yoga studio. A woman with unique interests, Bebe also authored a children's book as well as an article on how to construct sand sculptures. And, during the last haze of summer, in those days before you can feel the cool of fall, Bebe and her sisters would freeze, can, pickle, preserve, and stew the fresh produce they collected at her sister Nancy's farm.
Bebe's relationship with her family was the center of her world. She and her husband Herb, nicknamed Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers because of their chemistry, grace, and dance skill, were an incredible team who simply loved to laugh and have fun. Not only did Herb encourage Bebe in all of her pursuits, he indulged her sewing skills by wearing her homemade leisure suits. The couple used any excuse to host parties, routinely dressed up for Halloween, and were the mainstay of their family, decorating their home together, and renovating it so that Bebe's father, and later, her mother-in-law could live with them. As was her custom, Bebe welcomed everyone into her life with such beauty and tenderness.
Upon Herb’s death, Bebe was resolute, determined, and strong. Reminiscent of Jackie Kennedy, she handled life elegantly. A formidable woman, Bebe let nothing destroy her passion for living. Some would even say she lived a charmed life. After all, this is a woman, who in the span of just a few hours, was able to find 22 four leaf clovers and deliver them to every member of her daughter's seventh grade field hockey team, just in time for a pivotal game. Blessed with the knack for discovering hidden gems, Bebe also routinely collected Cape May diamonds on the beach. Her talent became her signature, so much so, that Herb had one of the Cape May stones polished and set into a necklace as a gift for her.
Whether it be on the beach in Ocean City, where she mined the shore for sea shells and natural artifacts with which to craft, camping, or traveling to Germany, New Zealand, Antigua, Hawaii, California, or the Caribbean, Bebe was Bebe. This is a woman who treasured life. This is a woman who lived each moment wholeheartedly. This is a woman who loved others so wholly and with such a deep and committed kindness. She would have wanted those who knew her to continue to care for one another, to delight in one another, and to support each other. Bebe is a person we should all be lucky enough to know, to enjoy, and to feel her warmth and her sensitivity, to be fortunate enough to have laughed with her, listened to her, and remember her voice as she spoke and sang her way through this world.
Daughter of the late Herbert and Beatrice (Justice) Nagel, wife of the late Herbert Louderback and sister of the late Nancy Dager, and Joanie Schmauk, she is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Linda L. and Stephen W. Ullrich of Wycombe, her son David Louderback of Wycombe, five grandchildren, Kevin, Jennica and Brian Jonovich, and Stephen Ullrich, Jr. and Stephanie Gimeno, a great granddaughter Taryn Hicks, a sister-in-law Marge Louderback and many nieces and nephews.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend her funeral service at 11 AM on Friday, May 3, 2019 at the J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel, 41 W. Trenton Ave., Morrisville, PA. The Rev. Bethany Devos, Pastor of the North and Southampton Reformed Church, will officiate. Her interment will follow in Whitemarsh Memorial Park, Prospectville, PA.
Friends may call Thursday evening from 6-8 PM, and on Friday morning from 10-11 AM at the funeral chapel.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Bea’s name may be made to Neshaminy Manor Nursing Home, 1660 S. Easton Rd., Warrington, PA 18976.
Neshaminy Manor Nursing Home, ATTN Business Office
1660 S. Easton Road, Warrington PA 18976
Tel:
1-215-345-3205
Web:
http://www.buckscounty.org/government/healthservices/NeshaminyManor
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