1923 ~ 2018
Beverly Jane Paulsen, "Beej" or "B.J." as she liked to be called, passed away in the early hours of July 7, 2018 with members of her loving family by her side.
She was born in Cedar City, Utah, April 19, 1923, to Dolph and Irene Andrus. She is preceded in death by her parents, her sister Torma, brother Quentin, and her husband Howard B. "Huck" Paulsen. She is survived by her brother Berwyn, and her children: Randy, Sonja, Barry, Paige, Greta and Duff.
Her family moved to Salt Lake City in the middle of her Jr. High School years. After graduating from South High, she attended the University of Utah where she was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. In 1943, she met Huck and they were married in 1944. In 1950, Huck and Beej took their two young children to Samoa for a two-year construction mission, building a school for the Mormon Church. When they returned to Salt Lake City they had four more children. The family adventure continued with moves to the states of Washington, Wyoming and California, eventually returning to Utah.
For the last 20 years of her life, she lived independently, first at Old Farm and then at Friendship Manor. She continued to meet monthly with her Kappa friends from college. She played the piano well and loved skiing, tennis, walking, swimming, hiking, the outdoors, yoga, and good conversation. She embraced life, her children and her friends with loving fierceness and loyalty. At her 95th birthday, she was radiant, beautiful, and alertly taking in all the loving words said in her honor by her six children, nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Be at peace now, B.J., Beej. You lived a magnificent life.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11am on Saturday, July 14th at the Albion Ward, 9636 South 1700 East, Sandy, Utah 84092.
Donations to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society can be made in her honor at www.nationalmssociety.org