My dear mom, Beverly Ann Herziger-Speaker, 70, passed away unexpectedly after a sudden decline in her health Sunday, September 29, 2019, in Yukon, OK. 

Beverly was born on December 22, 1948, in Newburgh, NY to  Nicholas & Francis D'onofrio. She was their Christmas blessing. Her parents owned a five & dime store and lived in a modest apartment above the store. She was the apple of her parent's eye, and was always such a daddy's girl. Her dad was known to spoil her rotten on occasion. He had always wanted a little girl. 

Beverly grew up helping her parents in their corner store (Nick & Frans) after school and on weekends. She loved filling brown bags with penny candy for her friends at school. She herself had quite a sweet tooth and was always sneaking hard candies from the bins.

Her family enjoyed taking frequent vacations to Atlantic City in the summers. Beverly loved playing on the beach with her parents and cousins, and running up and down the boardwalk with other kids. It was an idyllic childhood for her. 

After Beverly graduated from high school she went to beauty school. She got a job as a stylist at a local JC Penny Department Store after receiving her beauty license.  She married Ted Herziger a couple of years later and they built a life together.  They welcomed their daughter, Dawn a little over a year later. 

Beverly and her little family moved to Oklahoma in the winter of 1981 to be closer to her husband's family.  They settled in Yukon, Oklahoma where they built the first new home they'd ever owned. Life was good. 

She spent the better part of her life (in Oklahoma) working at a mortgage company doing collections and loss mitigation. She was very good at what she did, and was known for being sharp, professional, and hardworking. 

Beverly loved going on vacation and eating at restaurants as often as finances would permit. She and Ted would save all year long so the family could take big vacations all over the U.S. They filled dozens and dozens of scrapbooks with their adventures. 

A favorite hobby of hers was to going to thrift and antique stores looking for bargains. She collected many meaningful pieces over the years that she proudly displayed in her home. She would often repaint and repurpose some of these items to make them reflect her own personal style. 

She loved the holidays and would go overboard decorating and baking for loved ones. She took great pride in spoiling her family and especially her grandkids with goodies and gifts. She always made the holidays special for others. She was known to sneak five dollar bills in the grandkid's hands each time she came for a visit. 

Beverly adored animals and always had 1 or 2 small dogs most of her life, which she pampered and spoiled. However, her most beloved dog she spoke of even in her last years of life was her beloved Chihuahua, Skippy.

She remarried in 1995 to Michael Speaker whom she met in the workplace. They enjoyed thrifting and doing crafts together to decorate their home with. They both loved animals and enjoyed having a lot of pets in the home. Their home was a flurry of barks, squeaks, and meows when you entered the doorway. 

Beverly was preceded in death by her biological father Nicholas D'onofrio; her mother Francis J. Piper;  and step father Charles Piper.

She leaves behind a loving family that will cherish and carry on her memory.  She is survived by her husband Michael Speaker; her daughter and son-in-law Dawn and David Blackwell and their children, her grandkids, Luke, Levi, and Lily; as well as many relatives & friends in New York, and many friends in Oklahoma. 

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