Beverly is an 88 year-old Brookdale resident in Bradenton, Florida with an adventurous soul. For Beverly’s entire life, she wished to take flight in a hot air balloon. She tells the story of watching hot air balloons from a cabin in the mountains, wishing she could experience the thrill of being in the air and taking in the majestic views beneath her.
Beverly grew up in the Chicago suburbs as a homemaker, wife, mother and school teacher. She volunteered with her church for over 60 years, teaching Sunday school and serving as a deacon. She states that “it is rewarding to give back to the community.” Beverly has faced numerous obstacles in her life, including serious health setbacks in the past six months. She has shown incredible perseverance throughout her life, including her recent efforts to become healthy enough to accomplish her dream.
She has yet to let her age slow her down. Staying active within her community at Brookdale, she loves to attend parties, computer courses and exercise classes. Beverly also is an avid volunteer at Brookdale where she meets new people, gives them tours and introduces them to the community. She participates in many hobbies, such as crafting, knitting and making jewelry. Her one Wish would be to float up to the sky where she could appreciate the beautiful earth. She has been waiting to travel up in a hot air balloon for 15 years, claiming she isn’t at all worried about a bumpy landing. She’s always been a tough cookie, saying “bring it on!”
Wish of a Lifetime and Brookdale granted Beverly’s Wish of a Lifetime on June 24th, 2016, where she finally got to cross a hot air balloon ride off of her bucket list. Beverly reflected on the experience saying, “It was exciting and wonderful. The views were fascinating as the people below looked like little ants. We had a very smooth landing and the sunrise was beautiful! It was an experience of a lifetime, something I have wanted to do for years.”
