Anna Lee Bevis

Anna Lee “Ann” Heywood, age 90, of Lebanon, Ohio, passed away peacefully on Monday, January 27, 2025, at her residence. She was born July 15, 1934, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to the late Florence (Roudebush) McGary and Thomas Alfred Heywood. 

When her parents divorced at age 4, she went to live with her grandmother, Jane Roudebush, in Cleves. Ann had an active imagination as a child, always reading, writing, and playing with her sister, Jane Konnersman, in the woods surrounding their home. When Ann was 8, her sister passed away from cancer at the young age of 13. Ann’s father, Thomas, married again, this time to Ann’s stepmother, Clara Symmes. This marriage provided Ann with a brother John, a brother Donn, and a sister Konnie, to whom she remained close and loved dearly for the rest of her life. 

Always a straight-A student, Ann attended Charles T. Young Elementary School, followed by Taylor High School. At Taylor she was a cheerleader and very involved in theatre, glee club, yearbook staff, pep club, Scholastic Team 1, as well as being Hi-Y Historian. She made many close and lasting friendships growing up in Cleves and met her life-long precious friend, Janet Winans (née Jenkins) at Taylor. Ann and Janet became inseparable, even vacationing together in Michigan with Janet’s family. 

During Ann’s senior year at Taylor, she met a boy from her rival school, Harrison High School, named Charles “Chuck” Bevis, and they both instantly were smitten. Too soon, Chuck went off to the U.S. Air Force, and eventually was stationed in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Following her high school graduation in 1952, Chuck came home on leave for a few days, and they were married in a whirlwind ceremony. She set off for Cheyenne with the love of her life to begin their new life together. 

After Chuck’s service in the military was over, he and Ann moved back to Cincinnati and settled in Miami Heights. There they had a son, Jeff, a daughter, Leslie, and a son, John. Though Ann loved her mother, she always kept her grandmother Jane close. Jane came to live with Chuck, Ann, and the kids, and lived with them most of Ann’s adult life. She loved and spent time with her mother and grew especially close to her stepfather, Burns “Mac” McGary. She also enjoyed reconnecting and spending time with her father, Thomas Heywood, and family in Goshen, Ohio. In 1966, the family moved to Colorado and lived there for nine years, then returned to Ohio. When their kids were grown, she and Chuck moved to California for semi-retirement before finally returning to Ohio. Ann always loved California and enjoyed their church, many friends, and time there. 

Ann enjoyed being busy. She taught children’s Sunday school from a young age and worked as an ad model for Mabley & Carew, as a bank teller in Cheyenne, and later as a secretary at Fernald and Monsanto. Once the kids came along, she served as PTA president at both Miami Heights Elementary and at Taylor. As the kids got older, she went back to work again as a successful real estate agent and, in retirement, a librarian. 

A lifelong student, Ann loved school, but she especially loved learning and reading. Wherever she lived she took college courses, not to pursue a degree, but to learn as much as she could. Her kids often said she was the most well-read person they’d ever known–and she retained everything. Ann played the piano and was an extraordinarily gifted and often published writer. She wrote poems, short stories, greeting cards, and a play that was performed for a children’s educational program. Though she loved reading and writing, nothing brought her more joy than having Chuck, her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren around her. Most importantly, Ann loved the Lord and had sweet childhood memories of her grandmother and great-grandmother reading the Bible aloud to her. She had vast Biblical knowledge and shared her insight by teaching Bible study for years, highly respected by her many students. Ann was so loved. She had a joyous, sweet spirit who radiated God’s love through everything she did. She was a laugher with a great sense of humor—a bright light who lifted those around her. Whoever you were to her, Ann made you feel like you were the most important person in the room. She was an amazing woman and will be remembered not only for her beautiful words and spirit, but for how many lives she touched across her 90 years. Every person she met was better for knowing her and those who were fortunate enough to spend time with her knew how rare and beautiful her heart, mind, and soul were. 

Ann is missed and survived by her loving and devoted husband of 72 years, Chuck, son Jeff (Maribeth), daughter Leslie (Patrick) McInally, son John (Jil), grandchildren Devin (Jessica), Cate (David) Shaw, Jack (Tristin), Abby, Elle, Jake, and Joshua, her great-grandchildren Liam, Sullivan, Maggie, Brooks, and Archer, her brother Donn, sister Konnie (Fred), and numerous sweet nieces, nephews, and cousins. 

She is preceded in death by her grandmother Jane, mother Florence, stepfather Mac, father Thomas, stepmother Clara, sister Jane, brother John, sister-in law Joyce, brother-in-law Walter, sister-in-law Betty, cousins Patti Mae, Marijane, and Mark, and nephew Thomas. 

Services will be held at Dennis George Funeral Home in Cleves, Ohio. Visitation will be Thursday, February 13, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. A celebration of Ann’s beautiful life will be held Friday, February 14, at 11:00 a.m. with interment at Maple Grove Cemetery to follow. 

Please use the following link to view the service. https://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/109714