Beverly Ann (Newton) Wells

Beverly Newton Wells, 87, of Stowe, Vermont died peacefully at Greensboro Nursing Home Aug. 30, 2024 of complications related to advanced dementia.

Beverly was a force. Born Dec. 14, 1936 to Clark and Stella Newton of Stowe, Beverly was an accomplished musician, particularly with choral music and piano. Even as her memory faded, she was fond of sharing that “from the age of 8, [she] always knew [she] wanted to be a music teacher.” As a teenager, she bought her first piano with babysitting money. After graduating valedictorian from Stowe High School in 1954, she earned a full scholarship to Boston University, where she studied music and graduated Magna Cum Laude. 

In 1967, Beverly married Peter Alan Wells of Woodstock, Vermont and moved to Massachusetts. They had three children, one of whom passed away in infancy. Beverly found lifelong fulfillment in sharing her musical gift through teaching. She was enriched by wonderful friends and colleagues as her career took her from Woodstock Union High School to Walnut Hill School for the Performing Arts in Natick, Mass. Beverly returned to Stowe in 1978 to live near her parents. She worked with longtime friend Donna Costes on the Champlain Chorus, eventually resuming teaching in the Lamoille North School District. She accompanied the All-State Chorus in the 1960s and in 1999 was recognized as one of Vermont’s outstanding teachers by Gov. Howard Dean. She was happiest when playing a piano or doggedly teaching a chorus of children to stay on key (“From the top – just one more time,” went the refrain, as her students would be hard-pressed to forget. It was never really just one more time!) Beverly shared her love of music and theatre with her two young sons, involving them in the St. Paul’s Burlington Boys’ Choir and Lamoille County Players.

Beverly taught into her 70s when she started to show signs of dementia. She aged at her beloved home in Stowe for more than a decade, enjoying the view from her backyard, long phone conversations, the ever-present VPR Classical, and time with family. She never lost her sweet tooth, her quirky, sometimes surprising sense of humor, her love for her sons and her grandchildren, or her musical ear. Her students, her friends and family, and music itself kept her metronome ticking throughout her life. Even as the dementia advanced, she retained the ability to play the piano until relatively recently, entertaining kids on Halloween with her fearsome, dramatic renditions of Bach and Beethoven from the spooky front room of her house in Stowe village.

Beverly’s senescence at Greensboro Nursing Home was peaceful and compassionate. When she was still able, she would occasionally entertain other residents on the piano; as her disease progressed, she enjoyed meals with her sons and the daily music and activities in the common area. The Wells family is incredibly grateful for the professionalism, attention, and genuine care given to Beverly by the dedicated staff at Greensboro Nursing Home. 

A graveside service will be held on Friday, Sept. 6 at 11 a.m. at the Riverbank Cemetery in Stowe. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Greensboro Nursing Home, 47 Maggie’s Pond Road, Greensboro, VT. Arrangements are in the hands of des Groseilliers Funeral Home.  Memories and condolences may be shared at DGFunerals.com

Beverly was predeceased by her daughter, Jennifer, her parents, Clark and Stella Newton, and her former husband, Peter. She is survived by her brother, Robert Newton, her two sons, Jason and Newton (Caleigh), and two grandchildren, Rachael and Nathaniel Wells (and their mother, Kristin Wells).

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