Beverly Michele Westfall

Beverly, also known as Michele to family and friends, passed away peacefully on October 15, 2024 in Middletown, Ohio. Michele was born in Middletown on June 27, 1954 to Robert K and Jean Hinkle Johnson. She graduated from Lemon-Monroe High School in 1972 and then she went on to study Library Science at Miami University where she graduated in 1976. She started working at the Middletown Public Library after graduating, where she worked in the Tech Services department and she was in their employment for 30 years before retiring in 2009. Michele loved books and music. She started singing in the church choir at an early age at Blue Ball Presbyterian Church where she was a member for many years. When she got older, Michele became a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Middletown where she was a member until her passing. She sang in the choir there under the direction of the late Joyce Zigler whom she greatly admired. Michele shared a love of horseracing along with her sister Nicole and their mother. They spent many days at the old River Downs Racecourse in Cincinnati, Turfway Park in Latonia, KY and Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky. She, along with her mother and sister, was able to attend one Kentucky Derby where, along with a choir of thousands, got to sing “My Old Kentucky Home” under the historic twin spires of Churchill Downs that first Saturday in May. That was May 3, 1997 and that Derby was won by the great Silver Charm. On October 4, 1996, Michele married the Reverend Jerry Westfall at the New Jersey Presbyterian Church in Carlisle, Ohio. The officiant was Dr. Tim McQuade. Michele and Jerry were married until his passing in November 2006. She was a devoted fan of the Beatles (especially Sir Paul McCartney), classical composer John Rutter and 80’s Hair Metal bands Quiet Riot, Motley Crue and the Scorpions. You could tell that Michele loved all types of music. Later on, she became a devoted fan of Hallmark movies and she even turned her sister on to them one evening and with that one movie her sister became a very devoted life-long Hynie (in other words a fan of Hallmark favorite Tyler Hynes) so they spent many evenings watching Hallmark movies together. 

 She will be greatly missed by her sister Nicole with whom she shared a birthday. Even though they were 10 years 2 hours apart in age they were very close. They shared a lot of laughs and went on several trips together. Their favorite was their first trip to Virginia and Outer Banks, NC. While in Norfolk, VA they went to visit the Historic Yorktown Battlefield and Fort Monroe. They traveled to Northern Ohio to go to Lake Erie and Put-in-Bay. They also made frequent trips to Lexington, Kentucky to visit the historic Thoroughbred horse farms and to eat at the Parkette Drive-In. They loved to go to the Red River Gorge in Eastern Kentucky and to the Hocking Hills near Logan, Ohio. Michele and Nicole would get up in the morning and after having their morning coffee they would suddenly decide to take a day trip to West Virginia or Northern Ohio. On one such trip, they went to Point Pleasant, WV to see the Mothman statue and to visit the burial spot of the great Indian Chief Cornstalk. They also loved attending the Vectren Dayton Air Show to see the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. They shared a love of history and Art and they spent many hours at the Cincinnati Art Museum and visiting historic places.

 Michele is survived by her sister Nicole and three cats Ty-Ty, Baby and Ophelia. She was preceded in death by her husband Jerry in 2006, parents Robert and Jean Johnson, her maternal grandparents James and Orpha Hinkle, her fraternal grandparents Joseph Ockerman and Bertha Johnson plus several Aunts, Uncles and cousins. She was also preceded in death by her beloved dogs Abby and Carson and her cats Swizzle, Valentino, Sasha, Monet and Autumn whom she shared with her sister. 

As Michele wished, there will be no services held. Please sign the guestbook online at WilsonSchrammSpaulding.com