Beverly Pearl Jackson

Beverly Pearl Jackson was born in French Harbour, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras on May 25, 1938, to Selma Helen Scott and Archie Sherman Jones. She was the sixth of 9 children born to Selma and Archie. Her childhood years were spent in French Harbour, where the family lived by the Sea. Beverly’s education was in the British System where she attended the School of Ms. Vera McLaughlin, and she also received some basic Spanish as well by attending the local public school. During the years of Beverly’s growing up, life in the Bay Islands was very hard for most families, with the Men going to sea and farming to feed their families. The Girls stayed at home and help their mothers with housework and taking care of younger siblings. Health care was very limited at best and for any major emergencies, families would have to travel by boat to the Mainland of Honduras, 40 miles away. Beverly’s older sister Caroline married and move to the mainland of Honduras. Her husband was an Accountant/Payroll Clerk for the Standard Fruit Company. At the age of 12 Beverly went to visit her sister Caroline and during this visit, her appendix ruptured. Luckily, Beverly’s new brother-in-law Alfredo Moya was able to take her to the Standard Fruit Company where they performed an emergency surgery to remove the ruptured appendix and saved Beverly’s life. If her appendix had ruptured while in Roatan, she would not have been able to receive the necessary health care. God had plans for Beverly to live a long life.

At age 18 she married Sonny Thompson and to this marriage was born her eldest daughter Nena Helen Thompson. Sadly, this marriage did not last, and Beverly returned to the family home with her daughter to live with her father Archie. During this time her younger sister Marcia was still at home and the two formed a very close relationship that would last their entire lives. They would take turns with the Housekeeping and Cooking. Grandfather Archie used to joke that he always knew when it was Beverly’s turn to do the cooking as she would have the midday meal ready by 10:00 a.m.

When Nena was five years old, Beverly met and married Mr. Algie Jackson also of French Harbour and the family moved to Tampa, Florida in 1963. From this marriage was born two more children, Algie in 1964 and Leah in 1965. Algie and Beverly would bring their three children home to French Harbour every summer to spend the school holidays at their home there. This was an event that all the family would look forward to too, both Adults and Children. Aunt Beverly would always have a little gift for everyone, and I can still remember the “states smell” as we used to call it, when she opened her suitcases. I have many happy memories of visiting her home in the evenings where we would play with all our cousin’s downstairs while the adults would sit and visit on the Porch.

Beverly lived in Tampa Florida from 1963 until her passing in 2023. During these years she was a blessing to her family and to many people from the Bay Islands whom she helped over the years. Of the many things that she did for us, one big thing was shopping. She would send us the JC Penney or Sears Catalog in October and we would write out our wish list. Then our moms would send these lists to Aunt Beverly with the money, and she would go by Bus to buy these things and then find a way to ship them to Roatan in time for Christmas.

Her home was always open to any friends or family that needed a place to stay. She helped many people visiting Tampa for medical reasons or sometimes simply on vacation, who could not afford a hotel. She also helped nieces and nephews who needed a place to live while going to school. All of us had Aunt Beverly’s address and phone number and she was our emergency contact while we were in school in the states and far away from our home and parents. To this day, the only phone number I remember is hers.

Our families would come to visit and stay with her and there was always a bed for everyone. I remember the Christmas of 1983 there were 14 of us in the little house at 305 W Curtis Street. We had some wonderful times together with a lot of laughter. As an adult, I realize what an incredible person Aunt Beverly was who always wanted her family around her. She would come home from her job about 2 p.m., eat lunch and then take us out somewhere. Whether to the shops or the mall or the park. She made sure we got to visit places and do things that we would never experience in Roatan.

After moving to Tampa, Aunt Beverly trained to be an LPN. She worked in a Nursing Home in Tampa until her retirement. I can still remember Leah dancing around and teasing her on payday and telling her “Please butter my bread mom” to which Aunt Bev would laugh. It was always Aunt Beverly’s wish that she would never end up in a nursing home far away from her family and friends. God granted her this wish by making it possible for her to live at home until recent months when she suffered a fall and broke her leg.

Beverly was a kind, patient, and loving person. She was a favorite with all her family and was a beloved aunt to her nieces and nephews who affectionately called her “Lor-Lor”. While she was not a wealthy person, she shared whatever she had with her family. She always remembered everyone’s birthday and would make phone calls to everyone on their birthday to wish them a Happy Birthday whether they were in Roatan, Cayman or the USA, we could look forward to receiving these calls.

When the pandemic started in 2020 Beverly, Marcia, Truman, and Lynn moved to my house, where they could live in a little bubble and not be exposed to the virus. They enjoyed this time together and shared many laughs and happy moments. When I was finally able to visit, we had some great times together including many family dinners.

Beverly also suffered great tragedy and loss in her life. She lost her daughter Leah in a plane crash in 1984. Leah was only 18 years old at the time and it was barely three weeks after her wedding day, when she died. The loss of their beautiful baby daughter was a tragedy felt by all the family, but it was especially devastating to Beverly and Algie, and it took them many years to recover.

After retirement, Beverly sold her home at 305 Curtis Street and moved in with her daughter Nena and son in law Duray and their two sons, Dustin and Duray Jr. Beverly and Nena enjoyed a very close Mother/Daughter relationship and loved doing things together. Unfortunately, tragedy would strike again, and Nena passed away in 2019 from Bone Cancer. Beverly was devastated by losing a second, beloved daughter.

She was always very proud of her son Algie and would brag to her family and friends about what a loving, kind, and respectful son he was to her. She would say there was no son who was reared in any family anywhere that was better than her son. After Nena passed away, Aunt Beverly went to live with Algie and his family in Valrico. He would faithfully take her to her doctor’s appointments and made sure she had whatever she needed. During her final illness and hospital stays, Algie was there with her every step of the way including visiting her almost daily despite the long drive from his home and his working a full-time job.

Beverly had a lifelong love of reading and doing crossword puzzles. This kept her brain sharp until the end. She also said that these activities helped her not only to pass the time but to deal with her grief.

She enjoyed close relationships with her extended family, but she was very close to her brother Windsor and Sister-in-law Margarita who spent a lot of time with her at her home in Tampa. She was also close to her brother Truman and affectionately called him “Ethan” and her dear sister Marcia. She loved all her nieces and nephews but was especially close to her niece Syvonnie and grandnieces Nicola and Angielena.

In all my life, I don’t think I ever saw Lor-Lor get mad. She would tell me on many occasions that a ‘blind eye and deaf ear” would give you the ability to deal with a lot of difficulties. She always had a smile for everyone.

Beverly was preceded in death by her daughters, Leah, Nena; husband, Algie; brothers, Keith, Stanton, Windsor; sisters, Theda, Caroline; and her parents, Selma and Archie.

Left to mourn her passing are her son, Algie; daughter-in-law, Debbie; son-in-law, Duray; grandchildren, Dustin, Duray Jr., Emily, Chance; brother, Truman; sister, Marcia. Also left to mourn are her sisters-in-law, Lynn and Margarita; and many nieces and nephews.

Lor-Lor we will miss you and I hope you know how much we all loved you.

A funeral service for Beverly will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, May 20, 2023 at Blount & Curry Funeral Home at Garden of Memories, 4207 East Lake Avenue, Tampa, Florida. Interment to follow in Garden of Memories Cemetery, Tampa, Florida. The family will receive friends one hour before the service at the funeral home.