Beverly Burns, Former F.C. League of Women Voters President, Dies at Age 76

Beverly Ebert Burns, 76, a Falls Church resident since the 1950s, died at 12:20 p.m. Friday, December 31, 2004, after a long battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

She was born Beverly Mary Ebert, on June 29, 1928, in Lewisburg, PA, only daughter of the late J. Kermit and Beatrice H. Ebert of Selinsgrove, PA, who operated a small chain of five and dime stores in central Pennsylvania where she worked as a teenager. Beverly graduated from Northumberland High School, Northumberland, PA in 1946. She received her B.A. in Political Science from Wilson College in 1950. She earned her Master's degree in Education from George Washington University in 1970, and later completed a post-graduate program with James Madison University.

In 1950, she married James Benner Burns, and they moved to Falls Church, VA. Beverly accompanied her husband on three overseas assignments, to Burma, India and Indonesia. They had three sons, two of whom were born overseas. The marriage ended in divorce in 1966, and James died in 1996.

Beverly taught U.S. and Comparative Government for 16 years with the Fairfax County Public School System, first at Herndon High School and later at Oakton High School, retiring in 1985. She served for many years as faculty sponsor for students participating in the National Invitational Model United Nations (NAIMUN).

Beverly was blessed with good friends from all stages of her life, including many friendships begun abroad. She was an accomplished pianist, and played the organ in her church while living in Indonesia. Beverly was a member and former president of the Falls Church League of Women Voters, and also served as a member and former chairman of the Falls Church Law Enforcement Advisory Commission.

Beverly became a tournament bridge player later in life, and was two gold points short of becoming a Life Master. She watched Jeopardy since before Alex Trebec and breezed through crossword puzzles in pen, liking to "time" herself rather than just completing them. She enjoyed entertaining, ice skating, swimming, tennis and gardening. Beverly particularly enjoyed inviting friends to visit, sometimes for weeks at a time, at her country cottage, the "Barn", in Centre County, Pennsylvania.

Surviving are her three sons, James Kevin and his wife Lisa Pfefferle Burns of Branford, Conn., Jeffrey Ebert Burns (Jebby), of Annandale, VA, and Jonathan Brian Burns and his wife Beth Faunce of Selinsgrove, PA; and three grandchildren, Gillian Beatrix Pfefferle Burns, Arthur Kendall Faunce Burns and Greta Gail Faunce Burns.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, January 15, 2005, at Graham Road United Methodist Church, 2929 Graham Road, in Falls Church, VA. A second memorial service will be held in Selinsgrove, PA, on Saturday, January 29, 2005, the time and place to be announced. Her ashes will be later scattered by her family.

Contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to the American Lung Association or to the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, Colorado. Arrangements are under the direction of Murphy's Funeral Home, Falls Church, VA.