Beverly " Bev" Cavitt

Beverly Classen Cavitt, age 76, formerly of Dallas, died peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, surrounded by her loving daughter, Brooke Howald, and Brooke’s father, Larry Cavitt.  Bev lived her life “one day, one day” at a time, always connecting to family and friends – universally adored for her positivity, joy, and genuine care for and interest in people.

Bev was born on August 29, 1946, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, to Charles Henry Classen and Adrienne (Bruton) Classen.  Her mother, Adrienne, died in 1948, when Bev was eighteen months old.  Losing her mom left a hole in Bev’s life, yet it catalyzed a special connection with her older brothers, Charles Classen, Jr. and Scott Classen, which she cherished every single day.

Bev’s father, Charles, married Jeanne Crook in 1951.  They had three children together - Peter Classen, Carey Classen, and Anne (Classen) Knutson - and Bev loved being their older sister.  All five of her siblings were a source of pride, laughter, and adventure for Bev – and she maintained a closeness and connection to each of them until the day she died.

Bev grew up in Pennsylvania and attended the Baldwin School, where she excelled in sports.  As a freshman, she was on three undefeated varsity teams in Field Hockey, Swimming, and Lacrosse.  She left Pennsylvania for her final two years of high school to attend the Dana Hall School in Massachusetts.  From there, she attended and graduated from Southern Methodist University, where she also obtained a Masters in Liberal Arts and a second Masters in French.  It was through these schools that she cultivated many of her closest and long-lasting friendships.

Bev settled in Dallas after college and started teaching French at The Hockaday School in 1974.  She adored her students and strove to create a fun, diverse, and welcoming classroom over her 37 years as an award-winning teacher.  One of her greatest joys was watching the girl’s lacrosse team, which she established as a club sport at the school in the 1970’s.

Bev lived her life with an abundance of interests, hobbies, and passions, which meant she was always connected to an array of friends and communities throughout her life.  She loved riding horses and did so at riding camps and in national parks throughout the country.  She loved wildflowers and was always in search of a rare bloom and great photo to hang on her wall.  She loved volunteering at the Dallas Symphony and constantly had classical music playing around her.  She loved art and volunteering at the Dallas Art Museum, she loved to travel, she loved golf and tennis, she loved all things French, and was a staple of the French community in Dallas.

Bev’s plate was full and her heart was full, yet the greatest joy in her life was being a mom and mémé (grandma).  She supplied a rare love for her daughter – her “angel”— Brooke.  Of her many accomplishments, being a great parent and role model for Brooke was at the top of her list.  This devotion was multiplied to her grandchildren- Elsie and Dylan- who along with Brooke were the love stories of her life.

Bev is survived by her daughter Brooke (Christopher) Howald; two grandchildren Elsie and Dylan; her siblings Charles, Jr. (Marion) Classen; Scott (Aggie) Classen; Peter (Diane) Classen; Carey (Laurie) Classen; and Anne (Todd) Knutson; and her eleven loving nieces and nephews.  She is preceded in death by her father Charles Classen, Sr., mother Adrienne (Bruton) Classen, and stepmother Jeanne (Crook) Classen.

The family would like to thank the staff of The Forum Dallas Senior Living, the Callier Center for Communication Disorders at UT Dallas, Cherry Hills Assisted Living & Memory Care, Bloom Health, and Centura Adventist Littleton Hospital for their excellent care, and the many friends and family who visited Bev frequently and brought her so much love, joy, and support.

There will be a celebration of life luncheon on January 7th from 12:00-2:00pm in Dallas.   Please contact family or close friends for more information.

In lieu of flowers, please direct expressions of sympathy to the Callier Center (calliercenter.utdallas.edu) or the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (www.theaftd.org).