Beverly Sokal (Nemser)

It is with deep love, sadness, and gratitude for a wonderful life shared that we announce the death of Beverly Harriet Sokal, a courageous spirit, dedicated mother, actress, patron of the theatre, champion of the underdog and guiding light in the Jewish community. Bev died, at the age of 99, Sunday evening, October 26 in Baltimore, Maryland, her strong will finally
yielding to the hourglass but not before squeezing several lives into only one.

Born in St. Joseph Missouri, October 10, 1926, to her loving mother, Sylvia, and father, Frank Nemser, she joined her older brother Arlen to make a family of 4. They relocated to Kansas City when Beverly was three where she grew up with her extended close knit family including her beloved grandmother. At a young age, she developed an interest in theatre and would put on plays in her basement to audiences imagined and real. Ever the dreamer, she moved to Los Angeles at 17 to study acting.

Her endless love for the Jewish people interrupted her studies when she put aside her dream of becoming a famous actress and chose instead to focus on the future of the Jewish People and the establishment of the state of Israel. She joined Habonim at the age of 22, and in 1948, she moved to a Kibbutz in Israel where she worked as a shepherdess and treasured the flowers that covered the hills of the Galilee in spring. There, she fell in love with Ernest Sokal. They married and had five children: Yonaton, Dina, David, Eli and Joseph. Together, they gave their hearts to their children until she lost Ernie to Parkinson's in 2017.

Kibbutz life did not fit her beloved Ernest's personality and to her great regret, they moved back to the States with talk of one day returning to Israel. For Beverly, sadness drove her to greater vitality and creativity. Her love of Israel continued to shine as she took on the role of business manager at Habonim Camp Moshava while her husband devoted himself to the camp committee. They succeeded in passing on their love of Jewish life to their children.

Bev and Ernie lived in New York for a period and then, in 1957, moved to Baltimore. By then, Beverly had a degree in psychology, and she went on to get her master’s in teaching at Coppin State. She worked with juvenile delinquents for years at Montrose Training School and offered the love and strength her disadvantaged students needed. She was known as a great colleague, fearless advocate, and reliable spark of creativity and hope. Her love of teaching and kids had her teaching preschool at the JCC and creative drama for the Children's Theatre Association, passing on the craft to her daughter, Dina, who attended classes.

After leaving her career with the state of Maryland, she got deeply involved in the local theatre scene playing opposite her mentor and friend, Al Tyler, in On Golden Pond and bringing great energy and depth to the role of Ms. Helen in Athol Fugard's Road to Mecca. When she left the stage, she devoted herself to keeping Fells Point Corner Theatre going, and it remains on the map to this day. Her efforts in this regard led to her inclusion in a book on influential women in Baltimore theatre.

Though age slowed her down, even until the end, she had a great zest for life and natural capacity to play and have fun. She attended all of her grandchildrens’ weddings and would steal the show by dancing the Hora well into her 90's. In her last year, she began to speak more Hebrew and even began singing some of her responses. Her smile would still light up a room, and it wasn't hard to imagine the young girl putting on shows in her basement.

Throughout Beverly's long life, she never stopped working for a better and kinder world while inspiring others to do the same. She reliably lifted the spirits of those who knew her by modeling grace and courage. When she tragically lost her oldest son, Yoni, to cancer she found a way to move on with hope. Her great light will be missed.

She is survived by her children Dina, David, Eli and Joseph, her 10 grandchildren and her 13 great grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at the Sol Levinson Funeral Home on Sunday, November 2 at 1pm