Beverly Lohman Morsey

Beverly Lohman Morsey passed away at home on January 2 at the age of 103. Descended from a long line of Scots-Irish who settled the American South in the 18th and 19th centuries, she was born in Dallas, Texas on October 1, 1917 to George Elbert Morgan, a travelling shoe salesman, and Ione Gates, both of Texas. She was still an infant when the family moved to Corpus Christi on the Gulf Coast. On a hot August day in 1919, a deadly hurricane caught Ione and baby Beverly by surprise in a beach house. They were miraculously saved by a lifeboat just as the storm surge threatened to submerge them, an auspicious sign in her stars for a long life ahead. In her youth in Corpus Christi, Beverly's family noticed her natural flair for drawing and design and encouraged it. The Great Depression hit the Morgan family hard and left Beverly with the grit and resolve to be independent and live life to its fullest. Early on there were omens that things would go her way. When she was 15 she spent her one-dollar monthly allowance on a local Buick dealership lottery ticket and won a green Buick sedan loaded with a Straight-8 engine, a car she fondly remembered the rest of her life. Following her father's passing in 1932, she moved with her mother to Dallas, where she graduated from Forest Avenue High School in 1934. In another harbinger of big things to come, she and a girlfriend took a graduation trip to Los Angeles, lured by advertisements promising beautiful weather, glamour and a "wonderful time." Initially disappointed that Los Angeles wasn't living up to its billing, Beverly, by then a gorgeous blond, devised a solution: She barged unannounced into the office of the Head of Publicity at the Chamber of Commerce and accused him of false advertising. Her characteristic confidence and hilarious honesty, and no doubt her stunning good looks, were rewarded with dancing at the Biltmore Hotel and visits to a movie studio, Catalina and other LA landmarks--the first of many "trips of a lifetime." Her first job in Dallas was at a wrought iron studio designing modernistic furniture and ornamental iron fixtures. But her real breakthrough came when she was hired as a fashion show model for a Christmas party at the home of Herbert Marcus, the president and founder of the Neiman Marcus department store. After the fashion show, the Marcus family hosted a spontaneous giftwrapping competition. Beverly's package won hands down. Just a few days later she was hired to run Neiman Marcus's brand-new gift-wrapping department. She was only 19.In her first year at the original Neiman Marcus store in Dallas, and working directly under Herbert's son Stanley, she designed a group of gift packages that won first place in a national gift-wrapping competition. It wasn't long before Neiman's gift packaging was famous coast to coast. Beverly brought a creative flair to gift wrapping that made the packages come alive. One of her many successful designs was in response to the Marcus's interest in selling cloth handkerchiefs not just as singles, but as gift packages. Beverly's solution was a gift consisting of a handmade doll formed over a cardboard cone elegantly draped in a dainty gown of handkerchiefs. The Marcus's were so impressed they featured the doll in a full-page ad in the Christmas issue of Vogue. Neiman's received so many orders it had to devote an entire floor to train staff to make the dolls and stock the inventory needed to meet demand. The dolls are still sought out by vintage collectors. In her eight years at Neiman's Beverly also designed suits, blouses and toys, and was a constant wellspring of creativity the Marcus family relied on for new promotional packages and special designs for top clients. Life took a big turn in 1946 when Beverly met and married Lewis Talbott Lohman, a successful oilman with operations in Texas, Louisiana and southern California, who won her over with his charm, humor and a shared zest for life. They moved to Los Angeles soon after and, in the 1950's, bought the house in Holmby Hills that Beverly lived in the rest of her life. Together, they raised three children, Carol, Mark and Kelley, and remained happily married until Lew's death in 1976. During this period, in addition to raising her children and meeting the substantial demands of her husband's business commitments and their busy social lives, Beverly continued to develop her artistic talent. Her focus became large canvas oil paintings--usually still-lifes of floral arrangements filled with immense vitality and vibrant colors, but she also experimented in many different styles, from abstract to cubism, all of which featured a dynamic use of color. She was represented by the Gregg G. Juarez Gallery in both Beverly Hills and Palm Beach, and had numerous solo exhibitions. Beverly was prolific in her painting, continuing to heed the call of her muse until becoming physically incapacitated in her final days. In 1978 Beverly married Chase Morsey, Jr., a former executive at Ford and RCA whom she met at a dinner party in Dallas where Beverly was visiting friends. Theirs was an enchanted and happy marriage which they enjoyed for 38 years until Chase's death in 2016. Beverly, or "Bebe" to her grandkids, left a deep impression on all who knew her. Her beauty and style made her the captivating center of every room she entered. The vibrant hues of her paintings and her colorful, elegant outfits captured her enthusiasm for life. She had a passion for travel and international art, with a special affinity for ancient Egypt and Asia. The trip she made most often was to her oasis at Eldorado in Indian Wells. She was a legendary hostess who loved to entertain. She gave the same attention and detail to a party's theme and set-up as she gave her projects at Neiman Marcus. Dinner guests included a wide network of close friends, including President and Nancy Reagan, prominent business leaders, and many of the legendary names of Hollywood. She loved to dance and listen to music, especially the big-band swing of Frank Sinatra, whose soothing voice never failed to comfort her and evoke memories of her younger days. Her manner was dignified and regal. She was feminine, yet tough; stubborn and headstrong, but tender and empathetic, especially with her family. She was unconventional and open to the new and different (she took her kids to the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967!), yet every bit as traditional as her Texas roots. Her life in Holmby Hills was a long way from Texas, but even in her later years, when she claimed her figure didn't matter anymore, her favorite foods were still donuts and cheeseburgers. She was as colorful and brilliant as the flowers she loved to paint, a mysterious, one-of-a-kind woman of few words whose honey-coated Texas drawl and sharp wit always produced a laugh and endeared her to so many. She is predeceased by her parents, George and Ione; her sister, Marvonne; and her husbands, Lewis and Chase. She is survived by her 3 children, Carol Turner (Richard), Mark Lohman (Janet), and Kelley Workman (Paul); her three stepchildren, Chase Morsey III, Clay Morsey (Cathy), and Marion Holmes (Max); her 5 grandchildren, Parker Lohman (Karen), Taylor Lohman, Christian Workman, Caroline Workman, and Andrew Workman; and her stepgrandchildren, David Boucher (Kate), Farrell Jalbert (Dan), CJ Morsey and Parker Morsey. She will be especially missed by her loving help and caregivers, Yessie, Alba, Jenny, Adilet, Adelaida (Lemonade), and Rachel, to whom her children will be forever indebted. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to The Colleagues (www.thecolleagues.com), her longtime charity of choice.