There will be a memorial service Thursday, May 14 at 5:00 p.m. The love she felt everyday was from her survivors, her daughter, Susan (Gerald) Sydow of Alanson her step son, Timothy (Georgia) McCracken of Walloon Lake her granddaughters, Jamie (Matthew Malkowski) Schwartzfisher, Erika (Tom Gazarato) Schwartzfisher, Jessica Berg, Josh Foster and Rachel Foster great grandchildren, Milo Holden, Mya and Maksym nieces, Barbara (Sam) Reider and Deborah (Mort) Friedman, both of West Bloomfield grand nieces and nephews, Eve, Michael, Matthew, Kelly, Zachary, Ethan and Ariel.īeverly is preceded in death by the love of her life, Melvin Holden and their daughter, Stacey McCracken. Mel served as President, and Bev served as a member of the Temple B'nai Israel Board for over 35 years.īeverly, and her dog, Rudy, were regular volunteers at McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital.īev noted herself as being 'a receiver of love'. Mel taught Hebrew and Bev hosted the SUnday School in their home for many years. In Petoskey, Mel and Bev became active in the Temple. Both Bev and Mel became involved in the Little Traverse Civic Theater in the late sixties, they were a part of the Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Best Man, The Sunshine Boys, Fiddler on the Roof, Summer with Hemmingway's Twin, Annie Get Your Gun, A Street Car Named Desire and numerous other productions. Beverly and Carol Deschermeier founded the Enrichment Program, which puts on wonderful performances to this day. Soon Bev began directing plays with the children. Beverly started teaching 2nd/3rd grade at Melrose School district and even went back to school at North Central Michigan College to renew her lapsed teaching certificate, that she swore she would never use. In 1967, the Holden family moved up north to Walloon Lake. Several years later, they adopted a daughter, Susan.

The newlywed couple lived in Chicago and in 1959 they had their daughter, Stacey. On December 5, 1953, she married Melvin in Chicago, IL. While working for WJBK, in Detroit, Bev met Melvin Holden. She held a variety of jobs while living in New York, one of which lead her to Detroit. The year she graduated, she moved to New York City to become a Broadway star. Beverly also earned a teaching degree but vowed never to use it. She majored in Speech Therapy and minored in English Literature and Social Studies. She graduated from Michigan State University in 1951. She enjoyed acting out roles from her favorite movies she took tap, acrobatic and singing lessons, as well as acting lessons at the Goodman theater.īev was the first woman in her family to receive a college degree. Beverly Ann Holden, 86, of Walloon Lake, died at McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital.īeverly was born Apon the southeast side of Chicago, the daughter of Jack and Mirian (Balchowski) Holden.īev's love of musical theater started at a young age.

Little traverse civic theater