Beverly Joyce Telfer

Beverly Joyce Drechsel Telfer

December 29, 1939-September 29, 2024

Beverly Telfer, 84, died September 29, 2024 at home in Roanoke, VA. Beverly was a self-made woman, like her ex-husband George and their three children. She had all three before she was 22 years old. Beverly mastered motherhood and marriage quickly.

She showed her managing skills at the children’s Parent-Teacher Association at their elementary school, delegating to members various roles.

Beverly displayed her skills running offices for a church NGO at the UN in New York, the Macy’s executive offices and others. Her crowning achievement was computerizing hotel bookings for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau. She had taken courses at NYU, while working for the College Board, which administers testing for high schoolers.

After she and George divorced, she retained her married name. Telfer and Drechsel are both uncommon surnames. Only a few everywhere we lived. On the day our divorce was finalized, she gave George a family photo album.

Beverly is survived by her ex-husband, George F. W. Telfer and his partner Betty McNeil; son-in-law, Robert Manzo; daughter, Diana Manzo; her son, Richard C. Telfer and his wife Margarita; their three daughters, Alicia, Isabella and Sarena; daughter-in-law, Natasha Telfer and her children, Ziraili-Anna, Zuriyal-Aree and Zakari-Kai, and others.

Beverly was predeceased by her son Charles, her parents, Otto and Emma Drechsel, her sister Barbara and husband Stanley Miller, her father-in-law James Telfer, mother-in-law Annie Telfer and brothers-in-law James Telfer, Jr. and Richard Telfer, and her niece Melinda Lucena..

With Dr. Robert Copenhaver, a retired pastor, presiding, a memorial service with her immediate family was held Tuesday, October 8, 2024, at Simpson Funeral Home & Crematory, 5160 Peters Creek Road, in Roanoke. No viewing was held.