- Date Of Birth: November 11, 1950
- Date Of Death: May 11, 2020
- State: Michigan
Beth Ann Epskamp, a retired teacher and longtime resident of Kalamazoo, MI, died unexpectedly on May 11, 2020 at the age of 69 years old after contracting Covid-19. At the time of her death, she had also been living with Huntington’s Disease for many years and was residing in a memory care facility in Portage, MI. She was born on November 11, 1950 in Santa Monica, CA to Jack Beeson Olds and Martha Jean Matthews.
Beth graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Austin College in 1972 and a masters degree from the University of Michigan School of Education in 1975. Prior to receiving her masters degree, Beth lived in Honolulu, HI and met the man who eventually became her husband, Lawrence Clarence Epskamp, Jr or “Larry”. The couple had a Hawaii themed wedding when they married in Sturgis, MI in 1974. With her advanced degree specialty in Gerontology, she was then employed by Washtenaw county as a specialist in programs on aging in 1978. However, Beth insisted on continuing to travel the world before starting a family. She visited China, Egypt, and Greece in the early years of her marriage and then gave birth to two children, Erin and Megan.
Beth took pride in raising her children as a stay-at-home mother and actively participated in her children’s education – serving as a PTA member and Girl Scouts troop leader at Parkwood Upjohn Elementary. In 1996, she again returned to school for teaching certification at Western Michigan University. While attending school, she continued to raise her two children, supervise the care of her elderly mother with Huntington’s Disease, and walk 5 miles every day. After receiving her teaching certification, Beth taught kindergarten at Millwood Elementary for 10 years. She retired from teaching in 2008 when her granddaughter, Ashley Oliver was born. She will be remembered as an endlessly giving person, dedicated teacher, and loving mother and grandmother.
Beth was preceded in death by her parents Jack Beeson Olds (1921-1992) and Martha Jean Mathews (1925-2009), her divorced spouse Lawrence Clarence Epskamp, Jr (1948-1996), and brother Jack Beeson Olds, Jr or “Jackie” (1961-2003). Beth is survived by her sister Jean Ann Olds of Denver, CO daughters Erin Epskamp-Reid of Portage, MI, Megan Epskamp of Detroit MI, and granddaughter Ashley Oliver of Portage MI.
