Victoria McBeath

Victoria Howes McBeath was born May 18, 1948 in Cedar City, Utah. She was one of five children of Orlin and Elna Howes. Her father's work moved them to Henderson, Nevada which remained a one stoplight town of 13,000 when she graduated from the town's only high school in 1966. She suffered rheumatic fever affecting her heart valves and missed 4th grade with home schooling. She didn't let it keep her down long as she went to trials for the "junior Olympics" racing against Wilma Rudolph (who went on to the Olympics) at the Los Angeles Coliseum. She met her future husband John McBeath and they dated through high school. They separated during college years when she attended Southern Utah University and he went to California. Against the odds love bloomed again later and they were married August 10, 1968. Vickie worked and supported them the next 10 years while John completed medical training. She worked during those years for Senator Howard Cannon in Washington DC. John joined the Air Force as a flight surgeon during the Vietnam War and was stationed in Taiwan. She started a "non-profit" business taking military families visiting their active duty family in Taiwan on trips to Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore. Also in Taiwan she perfected her ability to cook Chinese stir fry which she added to her great cooking skills. Her working life ended with the birth of Kelly in Miami in 1977 and she became a full time mom the rest of her life. Her twin daughters Samantha and Paige followed in 1979 in Long Beach, CA where John began his medical practice. She then moved for the next 32 years to Palos Verdes where she formed a Girl Scout troop of all their friends at school and every member stayed through high school with some earning the Gold Award . She cultivated great friends in her close knit neighborhood and joined book groups as well as a canasta card club she continued to participate in to the present time. To further instill charity and giving in the kids' lives she had them participate in the National Charity League as Ticktockers in Palos Verdes ultimately serving as president. As the kids left for college she joined the Peninsula Committee for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles involving the whole family in their horseshow and golf fund raising events annually for 20 years forming many of her best personal friendships with the women members. She served on the board of the Banning Museum in Wilmington for several years to help preserve that heritage. She also loved architecture, her garden to supply her fantastic cooking ability, plays with friends, movies and country music. She joined the Virginia Country Club 10 years ago and enjoyed along with John being a "9 holer". Golf coincided with the arrival of her 5 grandchildren who of course took over most weekends, etc. and became the love of her life. She couldn't get enough of them and began traveling almost daily to see them. A small cottage style home on the 16th green caught her eye over the years and came on the market in April 2015. With mixed emotions she moved back to Long Beach and built the largest kitchen the little house had ever seen anticipating it serving as family headquarters for more good years. She was soon hosting at her new home both neighbors and the VCC book group she had promptly joined. Heart problems and medication side effects began recurring in the last year that she didn't want interfering with her life. After multiple consultations, a type of surgery held reasonable promise of eliminating the problem and she was anxious to press forward. The heart surgery we believe would have been successful but a cascade of complications afterward proved too difficult to overcome and she died February 26, 2016. She will live on in the hearts of those who knew her. She is survived by her husband John McBeath, MD; Daughters Kelly Araujo, Samantha Robertson and Paige Smith with their husbands and her 5 grandchildren; sisters Ellouise Carroll family and Teresa McMullin family, and a large extended family. She will rest in peace at Green Hills Memorial Park in Palos Verdes. In lieu of flowers, consideration can be given to donating blood she needed so desperately at www.redcross.org/giveblood or a small donation to Peninsula Committee for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles at www.pcch.net. Sign the guestbook at dailybreeze.com.