Beulah B. Donley

(DeLozier)

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  Psalm 23:6

Beulah B. Donley, lovingly known as Bea, died peacefully on December 18, 2015 at her home in Kennewick, WA after a brief struggle with liver cancer.  She was 91 yrs. old.

Bea was born March 30, 1924 in Blackgum, Oklahoma the daughter of Henry and Minnie Briley.  She was raised with her six brothers and one sister in Webber Falls, Oklahoma.  Bea graduated from Webber Falls High School in 1942.  After graduating she helped with the war effort by being a “Rosie the Reviter” and worked for Douglas Aircraft in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Boeing Aircraft in Wichita, Kansas.  Once the war was over, Bea graduated from beauty school but decided to go out west in 1946 to visit her brother, Warren Briley, who had moved to Richland to work at the Hanford project.  She never moved back home and lived in the Tri-City area for 69 years.

Bea worked as a beautician from 1947-48 at a beauty shop in the Richland Parkade and then for many years thereafter cutting and perming hair for family and friends.  She worked for General Electric from 1949-1955.  After her daughters reached pre-school, she went to work for the Franklin County Treasurer’s office in Pasco, working there for 20 years and retired in 1984.

Bea had two wonderful men in her life.  She married Edward DeLozier in 1947.  They had two daughters, Karen and Donna.  Edward also had two sons from a previous marriage, Raymond and John DeLozier, who lived in Tennessee but came to stay with them during the summer months.  Edward passed away in April of 1970.  They were married for 23 years.  Bea met Jack Donley while working at the Franklin Co. Courthouse, Jack being a court reporter and Bea working in the Treasurer’s office.  They were married in 1973.  They thoroughly enjoyed square dancing and through the years they were able to travel with dear friends around the U.S., Israel and Europe.  They enjoyed 31 years together.  Jack passed away December 24, 2004.  Jack also had two children, Rebecca Donley and Jack Donley, Jr.

Through the years, Bea enjoyed gardening, bowling, square dancing, traveling and playing games with neighbors, family and friends.  Bea loved working in the community and volunteered at Trios Health Center (KGH) for 22 years.  She also loved volunteering and working in her church, Columbia Community, stuffing bulletins and making apple pies and dumplings for the church bazaar.

Bea’s special gift was being a true servant of Christ.  She lived the life of Jesus by helping and serving others. She will be remembered as a very caring and amazing woman.

A celebration of Bea’s life will be held on her birthday, March 30, 2016.  It will be held at the Columbia Community Church, 150 Gage Blvd., at 11:00 a.m.  A graveside memorial will be held in the afternoon after the service  at Sunset Gardens in Richland.

Bea is survived by her daughters, Karen (David) Coulson, Kennewick, WA and Donna Gilpin, Anchorage, AK; Stepdaughter Rebecca Donley, Poulsbo, WA; Stepsons Jack Jr. (Kim) Donley, Traverse City, MI and Raymond (Jan) DeLozier, Deland, FL; Brother Leonard (Pat) Briley, Ada, OK; 10 grandchildren; 8 great grandchildren and many beloved nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. 

In passing, Bea joins her parents, Edward, Jack, her baby daughter Julia DeLozier, stepson John DeLozier, son-in-law Robert Gilpin, her brothers Carl, George, Marvin, Warren and Glenn Briley and sister Ethel Roper.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent in Beulah Donley’s name to: The Chaplaincy, Hospice House, 1480 Fowler St., Richland, WA  99352; The Gideon’s International, P.O. Box 140800, Nashville, TN  37214 (for Bibles to be placed in memory of); or to Columbia Community Church, Building Fund, 150 Gage Blvd., Richland, WA  99352.