Monthly Archives: February 2003

The Death of  Brenda Elaine (née West) MacDonald

Brenda Elaine (née West) MacDonald (1939-2003), Audrey’s first daughter-in-law and married to Audrey’s eldest son, Spencer, died  February 23, 2003 in Coventry, Rhode Island.  Brenda and Spencer raised two daughters, Lisa Gayle and Julie Ann.

Brenda, born on a farm on Hope Furnace Road, was the daughter of Elmer and Bertha West. During High School, Brenda worked as waitress at Remington Ice Cream in Hope, Rhode Island, and before her retirement in 1998, she worked as Secretary/Office manager at H&H Lace Processing in Hope, R.I. for 22 years.

Brenda was a charter member of the Valley Squares [Square Dancing] and had bowled [Duckpins] for 40 years on the Sunshine Girls Bowling League. Brenda was very involved in Shephard of the Valley Methodist Church in Scituate, Rhode Island. As an advocate for the Rhode Island Breast Cancer Coalition, she had attended the national Breast Cancer Advocacy Training Conference in Washington, D.C.

Brenda’s Memorial Service, with hundreds of guests attending, was held on March 1, 2003 at the Shephard of the Valley United Methodist Church, Seven Mile Road, Hope, Rhode Island.

Elwyn Orman Bean (1923-2003),  Audrey’s niece Virginia’s husband, died February 24, 2003 in Westwood, California. Virginia (AKA Ginny) is Audrey’s older sister’s second daughter.

During World War II, Bean served in the Navy as an airman. He was stationed at the Navy Base in Hawaii where he was trained at the Naval Flight School. He flew as a gunner on a T.B.F. (Torpedo Bomber Fighter) in the Pacific Theatre for over 3 years.

Before the war, Bean worked as welder at Consolidated Shipyard and after the war  his work was upholstery where he originally was a small business owner and later retired as Supervisor of upholsterers in a larger company.

Ginny and Bean were married on October 2, 1945 and were married over 57 years. They bought their first and only home in Manhattan Beach, a lovely beach community, in 1950 where they raised their five children, Diana, Donald, Linda, Laurie and Ann Marie.