Beverly Benton Bardi

Beverly Benton Bardi passed away on February 14, 2024, at the age of 93. She was born and raised in Bonneau, South Carolina, but her life would take her to other destinations, including Charleston; Marietta, Georgia; Miami and Vero Beach, Florida; and Mesa, Arizona.

She was a woman of strength and determination, passionate about her work, her family, her friends, and her interests. She had multiple careers, first as a homemaker, then as proprietor of a beauty salon. She joined Weight Watchers as a member, went on to become a meeting leader, and finally became an administrator of the At Work program for the Miami franchise. In that role, she achieved recognition for running the highest performing program in the country.

Beverly had two successful, long marriages. One was to Charles Pinckney Runyan, Jr. The couple had four children, raising the four together until Charlie's untimely death in 1972. During their marriage, they were avid hikers, taking their children on backpacking adventures in the mountains of north Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

Following Charlie's death, Beverly married Bruno Bardi, a US citizen who was born and raised in Trieste, Italy. Through that marriage, she earned a fifth child. She also traveled extensively, living for a time on a Greek island while Bruno worked on an engineering project.

Ever the avid learner, Beverly learned to speak Italian to communicate with Bruno's mother and other relatives. She insisted Bruno bring his mother to the United States so she could live her life surrounded by the love of her American family.

Beverly also adopted Bruno's passion for scuba diving. The pair became skilled amateur underwater photographers, and Beverly's work won awards and placement on magazine covers. Their diving adventures and other travel took them to many locations around the world.

Beverly was passionate about animals, and she had a long line of pets, mostly rescues, who brought joy and laughter to her and the family. One particular dog, a Chihuahua she and Bruno found abandoned near their home, earned a special place in her heart.

Beverly is survived by her children, Iris Hale, Terri Shafer, Cindi Driesbach, and Alex Bardi, and their children and grandchildren; her daughter-in-law, Debbie Runyan, wife of Beverly's deceased son Chuck, and their children; and her sister, Donna Tovey-Tisdale, and her husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She is also survived by an extraordinary network of friends who loved her passionately and share stories of how Beverly changed the trajectory of their lives through her intelligence, wit, determination and compassion for others.

Beverly's wish was to be cremated, and a memorial gathering will be scheduled at a future date to scatter her ashes according to her directions. In lieu of flowers, Beverly's family asks that you embrace the opportunity to tell those you love how much they mean to you; that you take care of the natural world around you, both land and sea; and that you help those who need your help, including adopting or fostering animals who have been injured, lost, or abandoned.