Beverly Gottschalk
December 10, 1931 — April 29, 2011
Biography
GOTTSCHALK (GIFFORD)
Beverly Jean (Gifford) Gottschalk, 79, of Duck Key, FL. died peacefully at home Friday April 29, 2011 in the company of family. Bev is survived by her husband Ed, brother Bart, sons Dave (Marion), Steve (Carolyn), daughter Amy, grandchildren Jennifer (Chris), Brian, Sarah, Ali & Emerson, great granddaughter Ava, the Gottschalk and Halverstadt families of Chagrin Falls, OH and the Hollar family of Charlotte, NC. Preceded in death by her son, John. Born in Madison N.Y. on December 10, 1931 to Barton & Thelma Gifford, she was a very devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend to many. Bev loved to travel the world with her husband, Ed Gottschalk. Beverly Gifford graduated from Norwich (NY) High School in 1949 and received her bachelor's degree from Beaver College (now Arcadia University) in 1953, where she is in the Hall of Fame, and was a member of the National Championship Rifle Teams in 1950 and 1951. Bev moved to Ohio where she raised her children and became active in the Worthington and Columbus communities. A life-long journalist, Bev was an editor with the Ohio Education Association before moving to the Columbus Public Schools as the Director of School Community Relations and then as Deputy Assistant to the Superintendent of Schools in the 1970s and 1980s. In that role, she developed award-winning model programs that brought community volunteers into school classrooms and found innovative ways of making education a stronger and more vital part of the city of Columbus. In retirement, Bev founded the Florida Middle Keys chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness. A family celebration of her life was held in Duck Key beside the beautiful water in Tom's Harbor, where she loved to be. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to HospiceCare of Southeast Florida, 309 SE 18th St., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316. Please designate contributions are in memory of Beverly Gottschalk.