FUNERAL INFORMATION

Thursday, January 18, 2024
Visitation from 10:00 AM until the Funeral Service at 12:00 Noon
at
Heritage – Suminski/Weiss Funeral Home
1901 North Farwell Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

Burial to follow at Graceland Cemetery

Beatrice  “Bea”  Boykin

Beatrice Boykin was born On March 1, 1937 in McGee, Arkansas to Frank and Margie Lee (nee Harris) Boykin.  With Bea joining her older sister, Dorothy Walker the family was complete.

Bea and Dorothy went to the local schools in McGee.  After graduating from high school, Bea worked at local hotels cooking in the kitchen and doing light housekeeping.  She enjoyed music – especially blues.

Dorothy married and started her family while Bea continued to live with her mother.  Dorothy later moved to Milwaukee, and she eventually brought Bea and her mother to live with her family in Milwaukee.

Once she was in Milwaukee, Bea held several different jobs – including at Goodwill.  She even learned to take the bus to work. Although no one ever told Bea, her nieces and nephews would often follow her to make sure she got off at the correct stop.  She also was a great babysitter for her nieces and nephews:  Betty, Patricia Timothy, Russell Jr., and Lisa.

When Dorothy sadly passed away in 1997, Bea and her mother moved into Woodstock Rehabilitation Center (now called Edenbrook-Lakeside) on Milwaukee’s Eastside.  Bea spent the rest of her days there and becoming a favorite of the workers there.  She could often be found hanging out near the reception desk or playing Bingo with her fellow residents – she just liked to have fun.

While Bea faced many challenges in her life, she could usually be found with a smile on her face.                 But what was really amazing about Bea was how she could smile with her eyes.

Bea is survived by her nieces and nephews:  Betty Rainey, Patricia Calbert, Timothy Randolph, Russell Randolph, Jr., and Lisa Pinnock as well as her nephews-in-law Charles Rainey, the late Kenneth Calbert, and Nigel Pinnock.  She is further survived by many great-nieces and nephews, other relatives, and her Edenbrook “family.”