Beverly Jean Otis

MADISON - Beverly Jean Otis (nee Moffett) of Madison, passed away peacefully on February 5, 2025, at the age of 90. She was the second of two daughters born to Leslie P. Moffett and Laura M. (Schiefelbein) Moffett on October 11, 1934. She was brought up in a warm and loving home in the village of Black Hawk, Wis., where close friendships grew with friends, Cynthia Schoss Sprecher and Irene Schneller Meinen. Those valued and treasured relationships endured for her entire life.

Upon graduation from Prairie du Sac High School in 1953, Beverly went to work at National Mutual Benefit Insurance Company in Madison, Wis.

On Labor Day weekend of 1955, Beverly was coaxed into joining a busload of hooligans from Norb’s Bar to attend a Braves game in Milwaukee where she met the love of her life, Lawrence Otis. They married on June 2, 1956, at Bethel Lutheran Church in Madison and shortly after moved into their first home in a new development on Barbie Lane in Madison. Marital bliss was short lived however with the rapid addition of three boys, Larry, Philip and Richard. Beverly was particularly fond of pointing out that Larry and Philip were Irish twins born in the same year. The IRS was not amused.

For the first 12 years of the union Beverly occupied herself with childrearing, housekeeping, and other such pursuits. Finally in 1968 Beverly said nuts to that and rejoined the workforce performing bookkeeping duties for numerous employers. In the mid ‘80s Beverly and Lawrence realized they didn’t like snow all that much and started spending winters in Southern California with their son Larry’s family returning to Wisconsin in the summers to be with Philip and Richard’s families. To support this nomadic lifestyle, Beverly started a printing business providing design and printing support to customers nationwide. By the turn of the millennium this cross-country lifestyle became more challenging, so Beverly and Lawrence decided to re-establish roots in Madison to enjoy life with family and friends.

Beverly was preceded in death by her parents, Leslie and Laura; sister, Audrey; and husband, Lawrence.

Surviving Beverly are her sons, Larry (Donna Padley Wood) with sons, Chad and Chris from a prior marriage to Sue Yager, stepdaughters, Sarah Smith and Amber Smith from a prior marriage to Julia Harris Smith, step-son, Sam Wood, and great-grandchildren, Alex, Jayden, Willie and Fisher; Philip with sons, Derek (Julie Lohr), Shaun (Kathleen Malaney) and Kyle (Jessica Stueber) from a prior marriage to Lisa Miller, great-grandson, Joseph and great-granddaughter, Savannah; and Richard (Lisa Weary) with daughters, Alexa (John Rosenau), Krista (Dustin Searle) and Hannah (Daniel Yee Molina) and great-granddaughters, Pearl and Willa and great-grandson, Evan.

The family of Beverly would like to thank the management and staff at Colonial View Apartments in Sun Prairie, Sienna Crest Assisted Living of Waunakee, Sylvan Crossing of Fitchburg, and Agrace Hospice for their unwavering support. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Care Ministry at Bethel Lutheran Church. A celebration of life will be held later this summer.

Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson Fitchburg

Funeral & Cremation Care

2950 Chapel Valley Road

(608) 442-5002