John W. "Bill" Beverley

John W. “Bill” Beverley, 91, of Bristol passed away on Sunday, April 15, 2018 at Bristol Hospital. He is now reunited with his loving wife and childhood sweetheart, Florence Marie (Almeda) Beverley, with whom he shared 65 years of love and devotion and raised three adored children.

Bill was born on March 22, 1927 in his East Street home in Plainville, son to the late John W. and Cecila (Bell) Beverley, Sr. He was a longtime resident of Plainville and attended local schools graduating from Plainville High School. Bill was part of the first Plainville Little League Championship team and was inducted into the Softball Sports Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. He was a longtime and dedicated member of the Redeemer's AME Zion Church in Plainville. A proud American, Bill served our country in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged. In his former years, Bill was employed by Aetna working as a claims specialist supervisor. Prior to his career at Aetna, Bill ran his own auto body shop, Beverley Auto Body, formerly located on Townline Road in Plainville. Following retirement, Bill worked at Stanley Golf Course and later as the Superintendent for the Plainville Cemetery Association maintaining and helping to oversee both town-owned cemeteries - East Cemetery (East Street) and West Cemetery (North Washington Street). Bill was a man of musical talent, finding a passion for playing the saxophone and creating his own band, the “Velvetones.” He had a profound love for golf and also took an interest in archery. He was an honest man with a great sense of humor and will always be remembered by all who knew him.

Bill is survived by his children, Michael Beverley, of Bristol, and Deborah Beverley-Wiggins and her husband, Edward, of Middletown; his grandchildren, Corey Smith and his wife, Rhonda, Kyle Smith, and Michael Beverley; his great-grandchildren, Olivia, Jaden, Joshua, Noah, and Keisha; his sister, Helen Sneed and her husband, Gregory; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his son, David Beverley.

A memorial service in celebration of Bill’s life will be held on Friday, April 27 at 5 PM at the Redeemer's AME Zion Church, 110 Whiting St., Plainville. Bailey Funeral Home, Plainville is assisting the family with arrangements. In lieu of flowers, Bill may be remembered with contributions to research for lung cancer via the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22478, Oklahoma City, OK 73123.

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