Obituary of Beverley Hill Windatt

Beverley Hill Windatt of Essex, CT, formerly of Rye, NY, passed away peacefully on July 2, 2022 after a long and valiant battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her family and her beloved dog. Beverley was born in Belleville, Ontario on February 18, 1939 to Margaret and Alexander Hill. She came to the United States at the age of 17 to attend Connecticut College where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. At her very first college mixer, she met the man that would be by her side for the next 65 years. Beverley and Richard “Dick” Windatt married on February 11, 1960, during their senior year of college, at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church in Old Lyme, CT. Following their graduation, Dick and Beverley lived in Jacksonville, FL while Dick served as a lieutenant in the Navy. While he was deployed, Beverley worked as a substitute teacher. They later moved to Philadelphia, PA and while Dick pursued his MBA, Beverley worked in the admissions department at the University of Pennsylvania. Next came moves to Brooklyn Heights, Chappaqua, and Armonk, NY, Los Angeles, CA and then finally Rye, NY, where they lived for 20 years and raised their family. She spent the last 25 years of her life back in the Old Lyme and Essex, CT area. While she eventually became a U.S. citizen, Canada always held a special spot in her heart especially her days spent on Lake Ontario as a child and she took special pride in her love and endurance of incredibly cold pool water as a result. Fittingly, Beverley passed away on the weekend of both Canada Day and the Fourth of July. While raising her children Beverley was a passionate and committed volunteer. Besides helping at her childrens’ schools, she served as the President of the Little Garden Club of Rye. She was especially dedicated to United Hospital in Port Chester, NY serving in a variety of roles and eventually as President of the Board. Beverley loved reading, gardening, solving The NY Times Sunday crossword puzzle and gathering with her friends to play mahjong every week. But by far, Beverley’s greatest passion was her family. Nothing made her happier than spending time with her grandchildren. Helping them plant gardens, swimming with them on hot summer days, delighting them with boxes and boxes of sparklers on summer nights, and telling them how special they were and how much she loved them, always with a German Shepherd Dog by her side. Beverley was predeceased by her parents as well as her brother, Peter B. Hill. She is survived by her husband, Richard Windatt of Essex, CT, her children, Richard D. Windatt of Moraga, CA and Laura Galante (Charles) of Darien, CT, as well as her grandchildren Mason, Parker, and Will Windatt and Connor, Quinn, Tyler and Eloise Galante. The family is particularly grateful to the doctors, nurses and staff of both Connecticut Oncology and the Middlesex Hospital Health Hospice Care Program and in lieu of flowers, the family respectfully suggests that anyone interested in doing so, consider a donation to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation in Norwalk, CT and/or Middlesex Hospital of Middletown, CT. Services will be privately held by Beverly’s family. To share a memory of her or send a condolence to the Windatt family please visit www.rwwfh.com Arrangements by the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home in Centerbrook.