Beatrice Beverly Heefner

Heefner, Beatrice Beverly Brighton, 87, beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, went home to be with our Lord, January 3, 2023. A memorial service to remember her life will be held January 14, 2023, at 11:00 AM at Parrott Funeral Home, Fairburn. Minister Craig Kingston and Minister James White officiating. Visitation is at 10:00 AM. Beverly was born February 2, 1935, in Natick, MA and graduated from Natick High School. She was preceded in death by her parents, Norman Frederick Brighton and Muriel Campbell Brighton, her husband, Keith Dean Heefner, and daughter-in-law, Sandra Nelson Heefner. Though she professed herself to be shy and introverted, Beverly established life-long friends from her hometown with whom she stayed in touch over the years and enjoyed getting together with at other times. Beverly was an excellent student, adored her parents, and was proud of her Scottish heritage. She enjoyed life in Natick and spending time with friends at Nonesuch Pond and the local swimming and skating pond. In Natick she met the handsome young man who soon became her one and only for life. As teenagers, she enjoyed their high school prom and being his first airplane passenger as just two of their many lifetime events together. Several things stand out about Beverly Heefner. Among the most prominent were her wisdom, ability to adapt, and devotion to family, friends, and those she supported through her giving spirit. Bev, as she mostly came to be known, married that sweetheart, Keith, and after a short stint in San Antonio for Keith to finish flight training, was immediately thrust into the life of a military officer’s wife in Tampa, FL at MacDill AFB, and soon found herself expecting their first child while Keith was flying Strategic Air Command for extended lengths of time. She adapted and, again, made life-long friends from the base and supported her husband in his officer’s role. Upon completion of active-duty military service, Bev and Keith moved to the suburbs of Atlanta and began a long airline pilot career with Southern Airways, just as the pilot’s union began an almost two year strike. Bev again adapted and learned to cook hamburger many different ways while at the same time raising an infant son, Scott. During this time, she again made life-long friends over those pooled hamburger meals with the striking pilots’ families. Eventually Bev and Keith built a house and moved to East Point shortly after Betsy was born, and Bev adapted to the life of an airline pilot’s wife who became extremely capable of managing a family while Keith was flying or serving overseas for the Air National Guard for extended periods. Upon the death of Bev’s Dad, they incorporated a suite in their new home as part of Bev’s (and Keith’s) devotion to Bev’s mother, Muriel, who lived with them in her later years. The supposedly shy girl again made many close friends through activities in the community at Lakeshore High School, Southern Airways Pilots’ Wives Club, bottle clubs and antiquing, and at her long-time church, Southwest Christian. She often commented that she was blessed with two wonderful children who never caused her trouble and could see them married and raise families of their own that did the same. After many years in East Point, Bev and Keith built a house in the “country” on Sandy Creek Rd. in Fayette County, and continued their involvement with church, family, friends, and community. They encouraged and helped Keith’s parents, Mel, and Eva Heefner, to move to nearby Peachtree City where they cared for and supported them over the final years of their retired lives. Bev and Keith doted on their five grandchildren, visiting the three in northern Virginia often and attending many if not most of the events like dances and ball games of the two local ones. About the same time as moving to Fayette County, they also established their lake home on beautiful Lake Burton where they shared many memories over the years with family and life-long friends, as well as others such as ministers and missionaries they supported directly and through Southwest Christian Church. Bev loved to go to “fly-away” church as they lived half-time at the lake for many years as well. They also enjoyed going to the Carter Family Fold in Appalachia for good ol’ bluegrass as regular visitors, so often that they became recognized enough to have a special seat at the performances at the Fold. Bev even adapted to Keith’s many entries into learning to play bluegrass instruments and taking lessons up in the hills. Bev cared wonderfully for Keith at the lake and from home during his extended back pain that turned out to be an unexpected battle with lung cancer. After Keith’s passing, Bev adapted again, this time to the life of a widow who maintained and re-built that memory filled lake home after it was destroyed by a tornado. She continued to live on Sandy Creek until the “country” was absorbed into a burgeoning film studio and she finished out her last years living in her own mother-in-law suite with her daughter and son-in-law in Fayetteville. Unknown to most, she continued to use her wisdom and discernment to support those effective groups and causes that were dear to her such as Southwest Christian Church, Southwest Christian Hospice, the homeless, and Samaritan’s Purse, among others. She also continued faithfully in her women’s bible study group from her beloved church, again, with many old and new friends in that group, which was nothing new for the “shy and introverted” girl from Natick. She finished her life going to the lake, thrift store shopping for "finds” and enjoying dear friends she made all during her life. She also enjoyed the legacy of a caring and devoted family, both near and far. Bev is survived by her son Scott Heefner, Powhatan, VA, daughter Elizabeth (Betsy) Thoms, and Tim Thoms, Fayetteville, GA, grandchildren Kathleen Brighton Heefner, Daniel Scott Heefner, Whitney Heefner Dalton, and husband Gregory Dalton, Powhatan, VA, Chelsea Brighton Thompson, and husband Josh Thompson, Fayetteville, GA, Dean Allen Thoms, Los Angeles, CA, great-grandchildren Raymond Dalton, June Dalton and soon-to-be Charlotte Dalton, Powhatan, VA, and Easton Thompson, Brighton Thompson, and Asher Thompson, Fayetteville, GA.

Beatrice Beverly Heefner

February 2, 1935 - January 3, 2023