Beverly Ann Smith, 74, of Willimantic, CT passed away on January 23, 2023. She was born on September 6, 1948 in Nanticoke, PA, the daughter of Arthur and Shirley (Burgess) Smith. Beverly was a graduate of the Windham High School class of 1966. Bev became a fixture of downtown Willimantic as the owner of Bev's Newsstand and The Unicorn Gift Shop. She served on Windham town committees in support of local businesses and economic development. She assisted in launching the Main Street Sidewalk Sales and successfully fought to keep business generating bus routes running through the heart of Willimantic. Later, she worked in the administrative office at St. Mary's & St. Joseph's School in Willimantic where her business sense combined with her love of children. She retired from Whole Life of New London in 2022. She is survived by her children Shaun Berard and his wife Robin, Jeremiah Berard and his wife Sarah, and Jenna Berard and her husband Ben Welch, grandchildren Selena Berard and her husband Sean Doran, Sydney Boettcher, Temperance Berard, Fabiola Berard, and Avery Berard, stepchildren Kimberly Messier, Paul Bucklin, Vickie (Bucklin) Arendt, siblings Arthur Smith and his wife Pat and Shelley (Smith) Ciantar, and parents Arthur and Shirley Smith.
Beverly was predeceased by her brother Jeffrey Smith.
Her family will receive relatives and friends on Monday, January 30, 2023 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson St. Willimantic. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Covenant Soup Kitchen https://www.covenantsoupkitchen.org/donation.htm, or CT Food Share, https://ctfoodshare.org/.
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