In Memoriam: Beverly Kaiser Wedthoff

Born in Knoxville, TN, to Margaret D. Tate and Eugene Kaiser, and growing up in public housing, Beverly was determined from an early age to move into a purposeful, productive life.

She earned her undergraduate BA with Honors from the University of Tennessee and two masters degrees from Western Carolina University, one in Public Affairs and one in teaching, specializing in Comprehensive education, special education, and severe profound disabilities.

Beverly was the first director of the Mary Benson House for mothers and children affected by substance abuse, and she was one of the early board members of Building Bridges, the Asheville-based organization dedicated to finding and creating new ways to establish relationships across racial divides. Although she herself faced a number of hurdles including diminishing eyesight, lifelong asthma, and the leukemia that ended her life, she was invariably upbeat and energetic. She loved humor, jokes, the UT Volunteers, and above all sharing both her unending work at battling racism and her absorption in life’s pleasures with her numerous friends.

Beverly met and married her beloved husband Guy Stewart Wedthoff in Asheville, and is mourned by Stewart, her stepson Jack and his wife Elena, and step-granddaughter Vica. Also mourning her are sisters Jamelba Tate, Carolyn Goss (Ben), Diane Kaiser, Pencie Shell (David), and Jeanette Ingram (Paul); aunts Katie Thomas and Hattie Mae Duggins; nieces Katrice Yancey (Stacey), Kay Shonda Kaiser-Williams, Margaree and Bevannetta Rice; nephews Devon Kaiser, Blaine Kaiser-Jones, and Peyton Tate; great-nieces and nephews, and numerous close and devoted friends.

In addition to her mother and father, she was predeceased by her sisters Marjean Adeoba, Kay Sharon Kaiser, and Stacey Owens, and aunts Ozetta Waters and Annette Howell. A celebration of Beverly’s life was held at the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Asheville on Nov. 12, 2022.