Beverly Townsend Rawson-Dibble, 99, of Satellite Beach, Florida passed away peacefully on Feb. 9, 2023.

She was born on Jan. 20, 1924 in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, the daughter of George Martin Townsend and Dorothy Lee Reed.

She was a direct descendant of Colonel Andrew Reed, who was instrumental in establishing the first permanent settlement in Boothbay in the mid-1700s. She was raised in Portland, Maine and a proud graduate of Portland High School after which she was employed by the general manager of Maine Central Railroad.

She met her future husband, Donald H. Rawson, of Scarborough, Maine when she was 16. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1939 as a pilot and was called back to the United States to train United States Army Air Corps pilots in 1940 in support of our allies in World War II. They were married on March 11, 1944.

As a U.S. Army Air Corps (later, USAF) couple, they traveled the world with their ever-expanding family of seven children. Donald retired in 1965 to an ancestral farm on Streaked Mountain in South Paris, Maine and embarked upon a career in the harness horse racing business. Upon retiring from the horse racing business in 1971, Donald and Beverly moved to Satellite Beach, Florida. While in Florida, Beverly attended Brevard College. Donald passed away in 1980.

Beverly was actively involved in the Cocoa Beach Community Church as a longtime member and president of the Women’s Fellowship and sang in the choir. Contemporaneously, she was a member of the Boothbay Region Historical Society, the Retired Officers Genealogy Society, vice president of the U.S. Cavalry Association, and the Cape Canaveral Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), where she received a certificate of appreciation, two awards for outstanding service. While an active member of these various societies, she met retired Army Colonel John “Jack” Dibble, who was also an Army aviator. Jack maintained that her strength and grace were captivating. They were married April 20, 1997. They had a good life together. They had many happy years with their shared service and leadership in several civic and military organizations they supported, along with their love for travel, especially to Maine.

She volunteered for far too many organizations to include here but a few to highlight are the Red Cross, local school clinics, troop leaderships for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Brownies. She was also a founding member of the Cape Canaveral Daughters of the American Revolution.

Beverly was predeceased by her parents, siblings Blanche, George, Delores and Cecil, sons Craig Rawson (Betty), Bruce Rawson (Cindi), great-grandsons Dylan and Blake, Lt. Col. Donald H. Rawson and Col. Jack Dibble.

Beverly is survived by her children Donna Woods, Jeffrey Rawson (J’Anne), Valerie Alfano (Artie), Stephen Rawson (Cheryl), Terry Pettit (Rick); 16 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. Locally, she is survived by two dear cousins, Larry H. Reed of Walpole and Dr. Stephen Reed of Pemaquid Point.

Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.