Beverly Fonner

Beverly Fonner, 86, passed away peacefully at her home on May 18, 2026.

Born in Utica, NY on June 28, 1939 to Hugh and Pauline Owens, Bev grew up on a farm outside of Utica in Sauquoit, NY.  She had many fond memories of her childhood with her brother Gary and sister Linda. Bev was an accomplished student and the first in her family to attend college, receiving an Associate Degree in Medical Laboratory Technology from Broome Technical Community College in 1958. Upon graduation she moved on her own to work as a medical technician at Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY and began a journey that would take her further away than she could have imagined growing up on the farm.

In Albany, she met her future husband Dick through the Albany Ski Club, a sport that was new to both and which would become a lifelong passion for them and their family. Bev and Dick married on New Year’s Eve 1965, settled in Rensselaer, NY and quickly had two children. Dick’s job selling employee benefits plans for Aetna Life & Casualty then took them briefly to Chicago then on to Springfield, MA where they would raise their family in Longmeadow, MA and make many lifelong wonderful friends. 

Bev was an active volunteer with the Springfield Junior League, helping to run the Budget Box, its thrift store, and serving as its president. As her children neared college age, she enrolled as an Ada Comstock scholar at Smith College, graduating in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and as president of her Ada Comstock class. Upon graduation she went to work for Springfield Central, the private-sector downtown redevelopment organization for Springfield, MA.

But this would all change when Bev fulfilled a lifelong dream when Dick took a job with New York Life in 1992 and they moved to Manhattan. Bev took a job as the Director of Grants for the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, an organization that she was very proud to be a part of. She and Dick balanced a busy urban lifestyle with frequent weekend trips to Weston, VT where they had bought an old farmhouse named Quill Hill. This period also involved travel with lots of wonderful trips to destinations all around the world. The opportunity to learn and experience new places and cultures brough great joy for Bev.

After ten years in New York City, they retired to Weston, a community they had grown to love and to be closer to the many wonderful friends they had made there. Bev again got involved in her community, volunteering for and serving on the boards of the Weston Playhouse and the Wilder Memorial Library. Bev loved hosting friends and family, especially her granddaughters at Quill Hill. 

As they aged and skied less, Bev and Dick started spending winters at Harbour Ridge in Palm City, FL where they again made many great friends. Her love of golf blossomed during her time at Harbour Ridge, and she loved her ladies golf group and the friends she made. Bev and Dick also took up an interest in birding at Harbour Ridge and looked forward to the organized trips to Panama and elsewhere to observe beautiful birds in their native habitats.  Recently, they had moved to the Meadow Ridge Community in Redding, CT to be closer to their children.

Bev is survived by her husband Dick, daughter Jennifer, son Todd and his wife Sally, her granddaughters Abigail and Emily, her brother Gary Owens and his wife Donna and her sister Linda Owens.

The family is grateful for the compassionate nursing and hospice care she received from RVNA Health.  In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation be made to the Wilder Memorial Library in Weston, VT http://www.wildermemoriallibrary.org

Services will be held privately, Kane Funeral Home is in care of arrangements.