Elvey Ritchie-Joseph

To the world she was Elvey (Beverly) Ritchie-Joseph, age 59, lived in Lancaster, CA, and passed away on November 18, 2023 at 11:02pm from liver cancer.

Beverly was born on June 19,1964 to Venturina Ritchie and Dalmon Ritchie Sr., in Stann Creek Valley, Belize. Beverly grew up in Belize with her parents and six other siblings. She learned her love of cooking and caring for others at home from her mom. As she got older she loved to go out dancing; She used to sneak away from home to go dancing anytime she heard those drums start playing. She was always chasing the sun, to be a part of the fun, she desired to experience life as a free spirit. At the age of 17 years old she took the adventure of her life; a leap of faith when leaving her home country. She ventured into new horizons upon arrival into the United states. The amount of strength and courage she had; she was clothed in God's favor as she proceeded without fear. Beverly then went on to create a new life for herself, she completed Job Corp and applied herself to become a beloved nurse to all those she cared for throughout her years. Beverly not only cared for her patients, she also cared for and loved her family, whom she was devoted to; She was our superwoman.

After graduating, she began working privately with the elderly and soon moved forward to working privately with her patients at Berkshire convalescent home in Santa Monica, California. Beverly loved her job as a nurse, it was her purpose to care for and nurture others. She was the most selfless and giving person, always there to lend out a hand or help others in need. Her heart was always so big and so full, always there to spread laughs and joy in her own way. Beverly's greatest accomplishment however, was being a mother to whom she taught us, all of her children, one of the greatest and most valuable lessons in life; no matter what life throws at you, you must always choose to look at the brighter side of things in life. Life is too short to not take chances, to live life being held back by our fears. Life is about taking risks and having faith; we must completely trust in God’s will for our life.

In 1998, Beverly met Louis Joseph at her work place at Berkshire convalescent home, and they got married on June 20, 2004. Beverly had two children, Monique and Charles. Louis came in and became a father to them and never left their side. Later on in 2001 and 2005 Kyjera and Louis Jr. were born. Beverly was happy, she had her family, she was a devoted wife to her husband, Louis, who she loved/loves. Beverly loved or rather loves all her children; Monique, Charles, Kyjera, and Louis Jr. Beverly was a mom who loved hard and although she was not always verbally expressive about her love, her actions always spoke for themselves. She was her children’s biggest cheerleader in the crowds at graduation and always made sure to celebrate them on birthdays to make the day special. She was there to always ensure her children always received what they needed; she prayed for them and always asked God to protect them out in the world.

Beverly played a very important role in the lives of her loved ones. Stories were told of the time she was present for the birth of her niece because she was the “strong sister” as her niece Sherima says. Beverly was so loved by the families she served as a nurse. I remember the way she was viewed at work; well loved and respected by those she served and worked with. Beverly always made sure to treat people with dignity and respect. She was someone I looked up to growing up, always striving to embody that infectious energy she carried within her. When Beverly became a grandma, it was the highlight of her life, she would have moved the mountains for Charlie and Aaliyah, her two grandchildren. They were her pride and joy and they helped her to become a softer, more gentle soul. Beverly's presence was a gift in our lives, her memory will never be forgotten.

In 2008, Beverly 's life took a turn. Her mom, Venturina Ritchie passed away. For Beverly, life was spinning and became so difficult to maneuver through. Beverly had to learn what her new normal for her life looked like. How to continue on living when she too no longer wanted to be alive. Beverly was a warrior, even in the midst of her pain she persevered. She found purpose again after the storm was over. Beverly chose to love and care for her family; to feed and nurture and nourish them in all the ways she knew how. Beverly also found things she loved and enjoyed. She loved her old antique pictures and little trinkets and dolls that she collected. She loved going to the park and being outside; being one with nature and God's creations. She always enjoyed the simple things in life. She loved playing her lottery games and always got in her words, “Wah li dry raise!”. Towards the end of Beverly’s life, even then she remained strong. She spent time on FaceTime calls with her family reminding them that everything will be okay, she continued to smile, continued to laugh with everyone; a powerful warrior going through her own battle. Beverly, no matter what, always made the best out of any situation she found herself in and always went with the flow of life around her.

Beverly was predeceased by her mother in 2008 and her father in 2015. Beverly is survived by her husband, Louis Joseph, her four beautiful children: Monique Pratt, Charles Pratt, Kyjera Joseph, and Louis Joseph Jr., and her amazing grandchildren: Charles Pratt (Charlie) Jr., and Aaliyah Ruiz Ayala. Beverly will be survived through all six of her siblings, Rupert Ritchie, Sydney Ritchie, Orlando Ritchie, Dalmon Ritchie Jr., Geraldine Usher, and Radiance Ritchie, and all her nieces and nephews. Beverly will also be remembered through Midnight, her “girly girly”, her dog who would always cuddle up next to her to keep her safe and warm. Beverly was such a beautiful and amazing soul; I wish we had more time to get to know her more deeply but until we see her again, we will get to know her in spirit, as she is again one with god. I know and have faith that she will always be there to protect and watch over us beyond what we could imagine. Mommy you are my whole world and it is with tremendous difficulty that we say goodbye to your physical body, and with a light heart we welcome room for your soul to shine through us as we take the lessons you’ve taught us and continue living this thing called life.

The family requests that colorful flowers and notes are sent to the Joseph family at 44157 37th St. W, Lancaster, CA 93536. Please be sure to sign her memory book and if you feel called to leave a note, please write in her memory book or her facebook page. We will memorialize all these loving comments for safekeeping to look back and reflect on the lives Beverly impacted.

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know dear how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.”