Beverly Scheel "Bev" McLoone

La CROSSE -- Beverly "Bev" Scheel McLoone, 71, died Friday, March 21, 2003, after a tragic brain aneurysm. She received fantastic care from all the doctors and nursing staff at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital and the McLoone family will be forever grateful.

She was born Jan. 5, 1932, in Chippewa Falls and graduated from Chippewa Falls High School in 1950. She was offered a contract with the Bloomer girls professional softball team in Chicago, but realized that continuing her education and starting a teaching career were more important. Bev graduated from La Crosse State Teachers College (UWL) and landed her first teaching job at PJ Jacobs High School in Stevens Point. She then returned to La Crosse to teach at Logan and old Central High Schools, respectively, before starting her career as a devoted wife and mother.

In college Bev met and after five years married Richard J. McLoone in Dec. 1956, who at the time was enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corp. With a wonderful, nurturing bond of over 50 years together, they built their lives, traveled the world, and had five beautiful children.

Bev should be remembered for her competitive spirit, and in 1972 while seven months pregnant with her fifth child, she won the first of her five La Crosse Country Club Championships. In 1979, Bev underwent a radical mastectomy. This didn't stop the drive in her. After the initial setback, she aggressively pursued golf and won four more titles with the last in 1999. Bev was also an accomplished tennis player, having won many doubles and mixed doubles tournaments. She also loved to ski, garden, plan book club, bridge group and antique study group outings. She also had great pride in her 40-plus year union with her golfing and ping-pong girlfriends. Her involvement in the boards at the LaCrosse Country Club, YMCA and other charitable LaCrosse organizations kept her busy and fulfilled within the community.

She is survived by: her husband, Richard; five children, Elizabeth (Fiance, Bill) Riley, Barbara (Steven) Wendell, Eleanore McCullough, Kathryn (John) Isherwood, Richard (Amy); seven grandchildren; sister, Marlene; and brother, Carl.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 26 at Blessed Sacrament Church, 130 Losey Blvd. S. Burial will be held at Catholic Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 25 at the church with vigil services at 7:45 p.m.

Blaschke Funeral Home, LaCrosse, will be making the arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred for Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation/Cancer Research, The UWL Foundation of Blessed Sacrament Church, their lifelong parish.