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Beverly Hacker Breniser A dedication of the first Beverly H. Breniser STEM Lab will be held at the CV Brownstown Elementary School, 51 School Lane, Brownstown, PA on Wednesday, December 15, 2021 from 4-6 p.m. A brief tribute to honor Beverly who died April 19, 2020 will take place at 4:30 p.m. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, masks are required.
Beverly "Bev" Breniser, a well-known
county educator, entered into rest on Sunday, April 19, 2020 at Luther Acres
after succumbing, at age 72, to the effects of dementia. A quotation about
another admired woman clearly describes Beverly as well: "Toward the end of her life, dementia robbed
her of the ability to speak, but it never concealed the woman who abided
within."
Born in Allentown, PA, Bev was the
daughter of the late Alfred and Irene Hacker. Irene passed away, at age 102, in
2018, and for many years, Bev had devoted herself to providing her mother with
a wonderful life in both good and bad times.
Married to Darryl A. Breniser for 48
years, the two shared their lives at their former Hawk Valley Village home in
Denver, PA, and at their shore cottage, "Tiny Treasure," in Avalon, NJ, before
recently moving to Luther Acres. In the early years of their marriage, they
enjoyed skiing, snowmobiling, and boating. In later years, she and Darryl were
actively involved in standardbred racing. They owned several horses over the
years with "Billy Bathgate" one of their favorites. Additionally, the couple
derived much pleasure traveling with friends within the United States.
After graduating from William Allen High
School in Allentown, she continued her education at Millersville University,
where she earned her B.S. in Education (1969), her M.Ed. (1972), and her Administrative
Certificate (1975). She later obtained her principal's certification from
Temple University.
Most definitely, Bev was a committed
educator, in that she began her career as a sixth-grade teacher in the
Conestoga Valley School District and held that position from 1969-1973. From
1973-1984, she was an employee of the Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13,
initially as an itinerant teacher of gifted students and then as the supervisor
of all programs for gifted and talented students. From 1984-2004, she served as
the principal of Conestoga Valley's Leola Elementary and also, for many years,
as the principal of Penn Johns School, a two-room schoolhouse with mostly Amish
and Mennonite students. Noteworthy is that Bev was the only female
administrator in the district at that time. Another role at CV was acting as
the chair of the Character Education Committee. Summer after summer, Bev also led
as a director of professional development for newly hired CV staff and their
mentors. On Day 2 of the workshop, Bev knew every single person's name and by
the end of the week was acquainted with each individual personally.
Not one ever to be idle, Bev, upon
retirement, accepted the leadership of the Conestoga Valley Education
Foundation and served as the executive director from 2004-2018. She was the primary
organizer of all fundraising events over the years, particularly the Derby Day
Party and the CVEF Golf Tournament. Attendees of these CVEF events, as well as
attendees of other charitable organizations' auctions, benefited from Bev's own
donations of five-star dinners and her "killer cheesecakes." The auction
returns funded numerous worthy projects for CV and beyond. Also, during her
retirement, she accepted the interim position of Brownstown Elementary
principal during the designated principal's maternity leave.
In addition to her Conestoga Valley
duties, Bev maintained a strong relationship with Millersville University. From
Spring of 2008 through Summer of 2012, she worked in the Educational
Foundations Department as an instructor. She also administered the Leadership
Programs Principal Preparation Inventory. Serving on the board of Millersville
University Foundation from January of 2011 through December of 2016, she was
co-chair of the foundation's sub-committee, the Spending Committee (2011), and became
the chair of this sub-committee in 2013 and served in that capacity through
December of 2016. Another contribution was membership on the Education Building
Advisory Committee. Perhaps her fondest accomplishment at MU was to co-chair
the Women's Giving Circle, a scholarship and mentorship program that helped raise
over $50,000 for the Women's Giving Circle/Power of the Purse. Through a
generous gift, Bev has a classroom in Stayer Hall named after her with a plaque
outside the room with her name on it. Jennifer McMorris, Administrative
Assistant of the Office of Alumni Engagement, offered the following comment:
"She accomplished amazing things in her lifetime and has had a wonderful impact
on a large number of others."
Besides her dedication to education (Who
reads professional journals at the beach?), Bev was a faithful and active
member of Allegheny Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mohnton, PA. Her leadership
skills were evident while serving on Church Council as a member and an officer.
Her musical talent was apparent in her participation in her church's choir and
bell choir. Her other contributions were earning money, through auctions again,
for her church's food bank, as well as knitting baby blankets and scarves and
sewing for her bell choir's projects.
Bev lived life fully. As a teen, she loved
tap dancing and could be found tapping at the Steel Pier. Decades later, she
took up that dance genre once again. She was a long-time member and officer of
the Junior League of Lancaster, participated on the Board of Directors and on
committees for Leadership Lancaster, was a founding board member of the Hands-On
House, served in an advisory capacity for Lancaster's Science Factory, and was
a member of the Event Planning Committee of Family Promise of Berks County,
Inc. She created unique jewelry and Christmas decorations to give to family and
friends or supplied meals, baked goods, and knitted and sewn items to donate to
charitable auctions. Never one to turn down invitations, Bev frequently attended
local or NYC theater productions and was one of the "Lancaster Ladies" in
support of CV grad and stage, screen, and TV star, Jonathan Groff.
One final fun and true observation is that
Bev was the "FASHIONISTA EXTRAORDINAIRE." She was her own best personal shopper
and impeccably selected all clothing and her accessories of jewelry, scarves,
shoes, and purses, with attention, too, to coiffures and nail art. Many will
remember her spider make-up at Halloween and her authentic hippie attire at
Jonathan Groff's Lancaster premier of Woodstock.
Besides her beloved husband Darryl,
survivors include three close cousins: Jimmy Miller; the late Debbie Miller
Kling, wife of Stephen; Gwen Zack, wife of Richard; and Diane Kasharian, wife
of Tim. She also had many friends who loved her as family. According to one of
her dearest friends, Karen Eby, Bev was a "second mother" to the three Eby
children.
Bev's funeral arrangements are, appropriately, through one of her former students, Philip Furman, of Furman Home for Funerals in Leola. Due to the current health crisis, a Memorial Service celebrating her life will take place at a later date. Her final resting place will be at the Allegheny Evangelical Lutheran Columbarium. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Bev's memory to the CVEF Breniser STEM Lab Project, c/o Gerald Huesken, 51 Midway Farms Lane, Lancaster, PA 17602.
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