The Oregonian (Portland, OR)
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Howard, Lucy Shepard
Age 95 02/18/1915 11/10/2010
Lucy Shepard Beebe Howard died at age 95, leaving a big void in the lives of the many people who knew and loved her. She led a long and interesting life and will be remembered for her kindness, humor, and creativity. She was deeply empathetic and generous of spirit. She loved her large family and the city of Portland, with its rivers and mountains. She also enjoyed traveling. While she spent many summers at Neskowin, she also went abroad to Europe, Africa, and Asia; and took trips to Mexico, Canada, and Alaska. One of her dreams was to ride an elephant, which she did at 84: "When a girl gets to be 84, I think she better get going." Lucy went to the Cady School and then Miss Catlin's School. She deeply believed in being an educated person. She was accepted by Smith College, but was never able to attend, due to the Great Depression. She went to the University of Washington for her freshman year in college and then finished her Bachelor of Arts at Reed College in Portland. Lucy was married first to Gordon Beebe of Portland and later married Robert S. Howard of Portland. At first a homemaker, Lucy then taught seventh grade at Hayhurst school for many years. Subsequently, she was a teacher librarian at Riverdale school in Dunthorpe. Lucy liked to make things and was good at almost everything she did with her hands: knitting, sewing, smocking, crocheting, upholstery, tailoring, and even making lampshades. Mostly self-taught, Lucy loved a challenge. When a colleague couldn't knit because she was strongly left-handed, Lucy taught herself to knit left-handed and then taught her friend how. Lucy was recognized for her ability to recite hundreds and hundreds of passages from plays, poetry, and epics to limericks and marching songs. At 95, she was still reciting Chaucer, Shakespeare, and the Iliad. Throughout her life, Lucy wrote playful commentaries in rhyme and published three of her poems when she was in her 90s, including: Though I am wrinkled and getting quite gray, I wake with a smile every day, I have to admit, I forget quite a bit But forget I forgot right away. Born in 1915 to Edward H. Shepard and Alice Clementine Failing Shepard, Lucy was the youngest of five girls. Her grandmother was Olivia Burch Henderson Failing, who was born crossing the plains in the second covered wagon train to Oregon. Lucy was the last of the 24 first cousins who were the grandchildren of Olivia Burch Henderson Failing and Edward Failing. Lucy is remembered by her son, Gordon Shepard "Sandy" Beebe and wife, Linda Beebe; daughter, Leslie M. Beebe and husband, Bruce Nussbaum; grandchildren, William Shepard Beebe and wife, Lissa Beebe and Heidi Y. Beebe and husband, Doug Skidmore; great-grandchild, Tessa Lucy Shepard Beebe; and 13 nieces and nephews.
The Oregonian (Portland, OR)
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Howard, Lucy Shepard
Age 95 02/18/1915 11/10/2010
Lucy Shepard Beebe Howard died at age 95, leaving a big void in the lives of the many people who knew and loved her. She led a long and interesting life and will be remembered for her kindness, humor, and creativity. She was deeply empathetic and generous of spirit. She loved her large family and the city of Portland, with its rivers and mountains. She also enjoyed traveling. While she spent many summers at Neskowin, she also went abroad to Europe, Africa, and Asia; and took trips to Mexico, Canada, and Alaska. One of her dreams was to ride an elephant, which she did at 84: "When a girl gets to be 84, I think she better get going." Lucy went to the Cady School and then Miss Catlin's School. She deeply believed in being an educated person. She was accepted by Smith College, but was never able to attend, due to the Great Depression. She went to the University of Washington for her freshman year in college and then finished her Bachelor of Arts at Reed College in Portland. Lucy was married first to Gordon Beebe of Portland and later married Robert S. Howard of Portland. At first a homemaker, Lucy then taught seventh grade at Hayhurst school for many years. Subsequently, she was a teacher librarian at Riverdale school in Dunthorpe. Lucy liked to make things and was good at almost everything she did with her hands: knitting, sewing, smocking, crocheting, upholstery, tailoring, and even making lampshades. Mostly self-taught, Lucy loved a challenge. When a colleague couldn't knit because she was strongly left-handed, Lucy taught herself to knit left-handed and then taught her friend how. Lucy was recognized for her ability to recite hundreds and hundreds of passages from plays, poetry, and epics to limericks and marching songs. At 95, she was still reciting Chaucer, Shakespeare, and the Iliad. Throughout her life, Lucy wrote playful commentaries in rhyme and published three of her poems when she was in her 90s, including: Though I am wrinkled and getting quite gray, I wake with a smile every day, I have to admit, I forget quite a bit But forget I forgot right away. Born in 1915 to Edward H. Shepard and Alice Clementine Failing Shepard, Lucy was the youngest of five girls. Her grandmother was Olivia Burch Henderson Failing, who was born crossing the plains in the second covered wagon train to Oregon. Lucy was the last of the 24 first cousins who were the grandchildren of Olivia Burch Henderson Failing and Edward Failing. Lucy is remembered by her son, Gordon Shepard "Sandy" Beebe and wife, Linda Beebe; daughter, Leslie M. Beebe and husband, Bruce Nussbaum; grandchildren, William Shepard Beebe and wife, Lissa Beebe and Heidi Y. Beebe and husband, Doug Skidmore; great-grandchild, Tessa Lucy Shepard Beebe; and 13 nieces and nephews.
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