Beverly Jo McKenzie Ashmore passed away peacefully at home with her family on Friday, February 25, 2022, at the age of 86. She was a much-loved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend.
She is survived by her devoted husband of 64 years, James Dale Ashmore, M.D. Beverly was born in Forest, Mississippi, on February 3, 1936, to her late mother, Maude Freeman McKenzie, and late father, Herman Lamar McKenzie.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her older sister, Joyce McKenzie Red, and her husband, Niles Red of Forest, Mississippi, and her older brother, Herman Lamar McKenzie, Jr., and his wife, Loyce Cain McKenzie, of Madison, Mississippi. Beverly spent her childhood in Forest, Mississippi, graduated from Forest High School as a feature twirler, and won many state twirling championships as a young girl. She met her husband her junior year of high school when he moved to her home town as a high school senior and outstanding basketball player. As he played SEC Basketball at Mississippi State University, she attended the University of Southern Mississippi, was a member of the Tri Delta Social Sorority, studied Secretarial Science, and for three years, was feature majorette for “The Pride of Mississippi Marching Band”.
After Beverly’s third year of college, she married her husband in New York City on the nationally televised “Bride and Groom” Television Show, on August 20, 1957. For the next six years, the young couple alternated living in Memphis, Tennessee, as her husband attended the University of Tennessee Medical School, and Denver Colorado, where he played professional basketball, while she worked as a secretary in medical offices.
After her husband’s medical school graduation in 1963, the family moved to Leighton, Alabama, where she taught twirling lessons, was choir director and taught Sunday School classes and VBS at Leighton Methodist Church, and most importantly, raised their three daughters. She was a member of the Leighton Civic Club, the Muscle Shoals District Service League, the PEO (Philantropic Educational Organization) sisterhood, Leighton Methodist Church, and attended in her later years, Highland Park Baptist Church, Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and Launch Point Church, Tuscumbia, Alabama.
Her later years were spent traveling with her husband and friends around the country, and more importantly to her, traveling to all of her nine grandchildren’s every activity and event. Since her husband’s retirement in 2015, nothing was more important to her then spending time with her family and simply “being with Jim’.
Beverly is survived by her three daughters and their families. They are Angela Ashmore Nall and her husband, Merrill Nall, of Muscle Shoals, Alabama; Allyson Ashmore Jones and her husband, G. Scott Jones, M.D., of Columbus, Mississippi; and Stephanie Ashmore Pitts and her husband, Mike Pitts D.P.T. of Fairhope, Alabama. Her grandchildren are Joshua Ashmore McClanahan, D.M.D., and his wife, Victoria Vining McClanahan, D.M.D., of Helena, Alabama; Stephen Taylor McClanahan, M.D., and his wife, Lesley Blanton McClanahan, and great-grandson, James Issac McClanahan, of Hoover, Alabama; Michael Garrett Pitts, D.P.T., and his wife, Geena Millitello Pitts, of Daphne, Alabama; McKenzie Jones Gillespie and her husband, Gil Slocumb Gillespie, of Smyrna, Georgia; Mallory Pitts Rose, D.P.T., and her husband, Andrew Rose, D.P.T., of Fairhope, Alabama; Chandler Reagan Jones and her fiancé, Tyler Marchak, of Austin, Texas; Meredith Pitts Watson, O.T.D., and her husband, Rushing Watson of Birmingham, Alabama; Grayson Ashmore Jones of Columbus, Mississippi; and Gatlin Matthew Pitts of Fairhope, Alabama. Her nieces and nephew are Kim Red Fowler and her husband, Wade Fowler of Ridgeland, Mississippi; Lori Red Miller and her husband, Todd Miller of Kingwood, Texas; and Kevin Lamar McKenzie of Madison, Mississippi. Her sister-in-law is Nancy Ashmore Johnson of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and her four sons.
Pallbearers will be her four grandsons and her granddaughter’s husbands, Joshua Ashmore McClanahan, S. Taylor McClanahan, Garrett M. Pitts, Gatlin M. Pitts, Gil S. Gillespie, Andrew Rose, and Tyler Marchak. Honorary pallbearers are Kevin Lamar McKenzie, Wade Fowler, Todd Miller, Brad Bradford, Bob Bradford, Mark Fennell, and Chrispin Montgomery,
The family would like to extend a special thank you to her doctors, Dr. Don Heinkel of Avalon Medical Group, Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Dr. Jerry Williams, Cardiologist, Sheffield, Alabama, Dr. David Cozart, Sheffield, Alabama, and to Kindred Home Health, Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and Kindred Hospice, of Florence, Alabama. We thank special family friends, Sarah Montgomery Hubbard, C.L. Hubbard, Susan Bradford Tanner, Jackie Handley, Donna Holland, for their love and friendship, and we thank her caregivers, Gail Keener, Wanda Willard, Marilyn Crowell, Bethany Pitts, Janice Saint, and Debbie Purser, for their care, advice and guidance.
There will be a private family graveside service at Colbert Memorial Gardens, Tuscumbia, Alabama to be conducted by Beverly’s granddaughters’ husband, Rushing O. Watson, Youth Minister at Briarwood Christian Church, Birmingham. Special vocal music to be performed by family friend, Mary Riley Fowler of Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
By love, Beverly will be remembered and in memory, she will live.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Leighton Methodist Church, Leighton, Alabama.
