Beverly Kay Quarles

Beverly Kay Hulse Quarles, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend, died tragically on May 16, 2025, surrounded by her loving family, following complications from being struck by a hit-and-run driver while on her daily five-mile walk. Her life was defined by devotion to her family, loyalty to her friends, decades of work, unwavering kindness, and a quiet but constantly aspiring spirit.

Born in Quincy, Illinois to Mary Magdalene Meckes and Millard Lynn Hulse, Beverly spent her earliest years in the hills of the Mississippi River Valley, a place that stayed in her heart throughout her life. Her older brother Thomas, who affectionately called her "BeBe," was her first and lifelong friend.

At the age of 8, her family moved to the small prairie town of Las Animas, Colorado, where her uncle “Red” Meckes had a construction business, and she spent the rest of her life in the more austere and rugged landscape of the American West. Her childhood there was a model of rural America in the 1940s and 50s: a one-room schoolhouse, home on a farm, then high school in town with sock hops, soda fountains, football, and friendship – the friends she made at Las Animas High School remained her best friends for the rest of their lives.

It was there in Las Animas that, when she was just 13 years old, her athleticism on the track team caught the eye of Ralph Quarles, who said to the boy next to him “She can run like the wind”. That boy happened to be her brother, who introduced them, and Ralph became the love of her life. Four years later, they eloped to Raton, New Mexico, where they were married on September 18, 1955, shortly after Ralph had enlisted in the Navy. Their remarkable devotion to each other lasted over three-quarters of a century, and their partnership in building a life together across mutual careers, four children, and inevitable family tragedies is a testament both to deep love and to strong respect.

Ralph and Beverly moved frequently in the early years of their marriage, while Ralph was still in the Navy and then in college: San Francisco; Greeley, Colorado; Denver; back to Las Animas; before finally settling in Roy, Utah where they have lived for the last 61 years and raised their family.

Throughout her life, Beverly worked tirelessly for decades to create opportunities for her family, being among the first generation of women to regularly work outside the home. Her professional work included roles at the IRS, IHC North Ogden Clinic, and Hill Air Force Base, where she eventually served as a liaison for South Korea and Spain. This position awakened her love for international travel, though she was never fond of airplanes and maintained a special affection for unhurried journeys by train through the American continent.

Growing up as a farm girl in the years before television, she learned to love reading – especially history and biography. There were always many books in her house, and she passed this love of reading and history to each of her children, and through them to her grandchildren. She also learned to love baseball, cheering for Mickey Mantle while listening to games on the radio, and she remained a fervent Yankees fan for the rest of her life.

After her retirement, she and Ralph, always inseparable, traveled together frequently -- from the Great Wall of China to Machu Picchu, from London to Lisbon, along the Danube and the Yangtze, to name just a handful of their journeys. Beverly never lost her wonder that she had now actually seen the exotic places she had read about as a child on the farm in Colorado.

A woman of warmth and grace, Beverly nurtured her extended family with unwavering care. She never forgot anyone’s birthday, or anniversary, or special event – not only her children’s and grandchildren’s, but a wide circle of nearly 30 nieces and nephews. She treasured family reunions, where the gatherings could come to nearly 200 people, and eagerly anticipated annual trips to Las Animas over Memorial Day for the all-class high school celebrations, where her friends from that youth on the prairie would all gather every year from across the country.

A faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Beverly lived her faith through acts of kindness and connection. An avid walker, she maintained her vigor with daily walks of several miles, right up until the last.

Beverly will be greatly missed and remembered by those surviving her, including her devoted husband, Ralph Quarles; her brother, Thomas Hulse (Maxann); her four children, Randal K. Quarles (Hope), Leigh Anne Quarles, Stacy Wright (John), and Robert Quarles (Maureen); her 11 grandchildren, Christopher (Nickie), Nathaniel, and Adam Lucas; Randal, Spencer, and Hope Quarles; Hanna Bower (Fred) and Elizabeth Wiegers; Kijana Adamson; Dylan and Madison Quarles; and two great-grandchildren, Kjla Cavanaugh and Bertram Bower.

The funeral service will be held at 11 am on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at the Roy 12th Ward Chapel in Roy, Utah, 4524 South 2525 West, next to Valley View Elementary School. Friends may call prior to the funeral from 9:30 to 10:30am or the preceding evening from 6 to 8pm at the Lindquist Mortuary in Roy at 3333 West 5600 South. Beverly’s family extends our deepest thanks to all who participated in her excellent care at McKay-Dee Hospital, where the trauma and intensive care teams tried heroically for two weeks to save her life. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts are suggested to the Quarles Family Memorial Scholarship, 1330 South 1000 East, Orem, Utah 84097, providing college scholarships for deserving students from Las Animas High School.

Beverly will be laid to rest at 10am on Friday, May 23 at Bent County Cemetery in Las Animas, Colorado, the town that shaped her life and love. Her legacy of compassion, resilience, and boundless affection will live on in the hearts of all who knew her.

Services will be live streamed and available the day of the services by scrolling to the bottom of Beverly’s obituary page.

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