Beverly Jean Watkins

Beverly Jean Watkins was born at Seton Hospital in downtown Austin on August 19, 1941, to Elihu Paige Watkins and Jesse Ruth Buchanan Watkins. With loved ones Yvonne and Molly Woodburn at her side in St. David's Hospital, Beverly went peacefully to her great reward on May 22. She remained a rock 'n' roll lady until her last moments, and she requested the Rolling Stones be played during her heart procedure at St. David's Hospital. Beverly was a lifelong adventurer who loved meeting new people and building lasting friendships. The many, many stateside moves for her daddy's upper management position at Woolworth's gave Beverly a remarkable ability to make new friends wherever she went - and she is fondly remembered by many for her engaging and fun-loving personality, wonderful sense of humor, sincere graciousness and hospitality, and her deeply curious and adventurous spirit. After many moves, her daddy promised he would keep Beverly in one place for her final years of high school, and Beverly proudly graduated from Bellaire High School in Houston, Texas, with many fun memories of being a Bellaire Belle dancer. She spent her freshman year of college at the University of Texas where she pledged Alpha Chi Omega, and she later transferred to Oklahoma State University to continue being with her family when her father was transferred to Oklahoma. Always up for an adventure, Beverly could pick up and go whenever an opportunity arose! She enjoyed living in Boulder, Colorado in the 1960s when the hippie movement was evolving, and then in St. Louis where she assisted in restoring and designing many of the old downtown warehouses. She spent years with Braniff Airlines while living in an apartment in Avondale (Houston, TX), and she enjoyed travelling the globe wherever she might choose to venture for just $3.00 a ticket! She could regale a captive audience with her tales of having her appendix removed in London, being gored by a bull in Spain, and 'smuggling' a Teacup Yorkie in the pocket of a mink coat into the States from Acapulco. The tiny Yorkie was named "Tiffany Van Cleef Arpell", and Beverly still thought the aristocratic name was so comical years and years after. Beverly also spent many fond years working as a concert promoter with Wild West Productions, and she loved to talk about her time living in the Hills of Laurel Canyon just outside LA. Her Wild West friends gave her a nickname that stuck - Waverly White Castle - and ever thereafter, she became Waverly. She had stories galore of the rock 'n' roll days, including being a founding member of the Beaumont Garden Club and hastily opening for the Rolling Stones in Beaumont, Texas by playing a kazoo. She knew countless musicians and bands in the industry in the 1970s, and she saved and cherished many photos of that era. After all those adventures, Beverly moved to South Austin where she helped manage the Lady Bird Wildflower Center Cafe for some seasons and was an independent decorator for many years. She subscribed to decorating, cooking and gardening magazines all her adult life, and she had an amazing eye for transforming any space into something amazing within any budget. Beverly's home always reflected her amazing eye and many adventures, and she maintained an impressive collection of cookbooks and keepsakes from her many travels. Of all the places Beverly lived and traveled, South Austin truly captured her heart and her spirit. Everybody was welcome to be Beverly's friend in true South Austin fashion, and it was always "the more the merrier". She remained a proud South Austinite Weirdo even after retiring to Sun City in 2018. Throughout her life, Beverly's adventurous and fun-loving spirit was always complemented by unwavering principles and a compassionate heart. You could not know Beverly without knowing she was a fierce and staunchly devoted Democrat all her life, and she was proud to count Liz Carpenter, Ann Richards, and Molly Ivins among her friends. She proudly campaigned for Democratic Candidates and served as a Democratic Delegate when she could, and she was an avid supporter of Austin PBS. She had a deep compassion and love for all God's creatures, and she rescued several horses, cats, and dogs over the years from the time she was a small child in Harlingen, Texas. She provided a loving home for Archie, Daphne, Digby, Mia, and Willie Nelson (the chillest cat ever!), and she was as adept at charming new animal friends as she was people. As you read this, we know that Beverly is enjoying a very furry and exuberant reunion - rock on, Bev! Beverly was preceded in death by her mother and father, Ruth and Paige Watkins, her younger brother, Barry Watkins, and her much loved Aunt Gertrude (Aunt Coo Coo) and Uncle Bob Waters. She is survived by her first cousins, Fred Waters, Charles Bell, Larry Bell, Richard Waters, Kathy Buchanan Beny, Kay Zeltmann, and Mike Rowley. She will be missed by many cherished friends, including Yvonne Woodburn and Molly Woodburn, who she lovingly adopted in her heart and referred to as her daughter and granddaughter respectively. In true Waverly fashion, she elected for cremation and no sad funeral service. Rather, a rock 'n' roll Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date. Memorial gifts in Beverly's honor may be made to Austin Pets Alive (www.austinpetsalive.org/donate) or All Things Wild Rehabilitation (www.allthingswildrehab.org/donate).