Beverly Loomis

Beverly Loomis, 74, of Missoula, quietly passed away on Wednesday, December 29, 2021 at home, after a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia and Parkinson’s Disease. She was a loving wife, mother of five, grandmother of three, and friend to many.

Beverly Joyce Blake was born on March 2, 1947, to Julius and Harriet (Snider) Blake, in Newark, New Jersey. As a teenager she moved with her family to Southern California, which is where she met the love of her life, David Loomis. The two married on July 2, 1966 and celebrated their 55th anniversary this past summer. Bev managed the house, the growing family of five children, school activities, sports schedules, 4-H meetings, and just about everything else. She worked for many years while juggling everything at home, mostly in customer service and medical offices- which she absolutely loved.

In 1996 the family moved to Missoula, Montana, and Bev fell in love with the area. She absolutely loved snow, and with few exceptions would exclaim “Snow!” whenever the fluffy stuff was falling. In truly Bev-fashion, despite loving snow… she did not like the cold. After moving to Missoula, she helped design the house of her dreams, and continued raising her children and granddaughter there.

In 2001, Bev went into business with her son, Matthew, and husband (while David adamantly insisted on only being a “silent” partner) and purchased a Baskin-Robbins ice cream store in Missoula. Working behind the counter and decorating birthday cakes, Bev had the joy of interacting with thousands of people from all walks of life until she retired in 2018. Through all of the hard work that Bev put in at the ice cream stores, she truly enjoyed her daily encounters with customers, and the knowledge that she helped shape the lives of many young employees. She had the type of impact that has led to former employees fondly reminiscing about “Bev stories”, 20 years later. As a boss, co-worker, and cake decorator, Bev had a lasting impression on the lives of so many.

With all five of her children out of the house, the family welcomed their second grandchild, Ella, in 2004. Quickly, a short 35 years after having her first child, Bev again found herself raising a child. Parenting was something that Bev excelled at more than anything, and she and David took on this role without hesitation. She was immensely proud of her heritage, her family, and all of her children’s and grandchildren’s accomplishments.

Bev had many hobbies and talents over the years, and was a woman with many skills. Cooking, baking, sewing almost anything, quilting, crafting, teaching, learning, Bunco, reading (especially murder mysteries!), telling long-winded stories, eating chocolate, drinking decaf, rescuing animals, organizing bake sales, volunteering, and discussing anything involving food were just some of her passions.

Although Bev was raised to be Jewish, kept a Jewish household, and loved her religion and traditions, her favorite holiday was absolutely Christmas. She spent her last few weeks surrounded by Christmas decorations, ornaments, lights, movies, music, and cookies.

Bev was preceded in death by her father, Julius, and her mother, Harriet.

She is survived by her husband and favorite person David, of Missoula, their five children: Jennifer (Will Norman), Jessica (fiancée Paul Grzybowski), Sarah, Matthew, and Elizabeth (Bruce Robertson); three grandchildren: Savannah, Ella, and Dominic; and her loving brother Michael (Cindy). Also left behind are Bev’s “precious boys”, Cooper and Monty.

If you are so moved, please consider honoring Beverly with a small donation to one of her favorite local causes, which include Missoula Food Bank and Missoula YWCA.