Beverly June Milstead Carow, 95, of Front Royal, VA, passed away peacefully on February 11, 2025, at Warren Memorial Hospital in Front Royal.

She was born on December 31, 1929 in Washington, DC, the oldest daughter of Carlton Ottis and Mabel Wooster Milstead. Beverly was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Roger Carlton Milstead; and oldest son, John Gottlieb Gruber, Jr.

Beverly is survived by her son, Terry Robert Gruber (Solveig Seltzer Gruber); grandchildren, Anna Elizabeth Kiefer-Douglas (Scott) and Ethan Wooster Gruber (Lauren Massari); great-granddaughter, Shelby Ruth Kiefer; bonus great-granddaughters, Riley and Molly Douglas; and many beloved grandpets. She is also survived by her sister, Theda Milstead Massey (Ray).

Beverly graduated from Oxon Hill High School in 1946 and briefly attended Western Maryland College in Westminster, MD, where she majored in music. Her early life was marked by summers spent on her grandparents’ farms in Charles County, MD, and sports. She excelled in basketball and softball at Oxon Hill High, where she was known as “Curves” Milstead.

During World War II, she organized a dance band and performed at the Naval Support Facility Indian Head USO. Her true passion, however, was music. Beverly was a dedicated music educator for over 60 years, teaching piano and organ in her home studios in Oxon Hill and Front Royal. Several of her students went on to have professional music careers, and she kept in contact with many former students. While she took on students of all ages, she loved teaching children the most, relishing in their musical growth and accomplishments.

In the 1950s, Beverly was a member of the Washington Cathedral Choral Society and studied organ under the tutelage of the Cathedral’s assistant organist, Richard Dirksen. She also served as the organist and choir director at several churches, including Rehobeth Baptist Church in Washington, DC, Corcoran Methodist Church in Temple Hills, MD, and Christ Episcopal Church in Clinton, MD, Anacostia United Methodist Church in Washington, DC as well as several others throughout the Washington, DC, and Front Royal communities.

She taught organ at Prince George’s Community College in the 1980s. She was also a dedicated member and officer of the Maryland State Music Teachers Association, Prince George’s Chapter, for over two decades. In addition to her musical contributions, Beverly was known for her advocacy of cranberry shrub and coleslaw parfait and her belief in the healing powers of dark chocolate, particularly its flavonoid content, which she used as an excuse to indulge in her chocolate vice.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 1, at 2 pm at Maddox Funeral Home, 105 W. Main Street, Front Royal, VA 22630.