Vivian Beal

Vivian Lorraine (Crowe) Beal was born September 22, 1939 to Grady and Virginia Crowe (Jones) in Springfield, Ohio. She departed this life on February 7, 2021 at Ohio State University Hospital East in Columbus, Ohio. 

She was affectionately called “Dimples” or “Dimpie” by family and friends. Her dimples and beautiful smile reflected her inner and outer beauty.  She was filled with a kind, caring, and fun-loving spirit. She could also be very tough if pushed and quite stubborn. She was classy and fierce. She was our Queen.

Vivian grew up and was educated for most of her childhood in Springfield in the care of her late “Aunt” Fanniebelle Allen. She provided Vivian an education full of culture – piano and ballet lessons as well as etiquette classes. All considered important at the time for a ‘proper’ young lady. Fanniebelle encouraged Vivian to use her lovely singing voice. When Vivian would sing solos in church she said Fanniebelle could be heard in the congregation saying, “Saaang, baby!”

By the time she was in high school Vivian joined her mother Virginia in Fremont, Ohio. She attended Ross High where she met her high school sweetheart Richard “Dick” Beal, Jr. They were married in February 1957 and had four children: David (passed after birth), Chloe, Gregory and Brenda.

Vivian was an amazing mother and spent the early years of her family life as a homemaker.  She encouraged her children to excel in their education and try new things. She supported all of their activities. 

Vivian and Dick divorced and she relocated to Columbus, Ohio. In that time, Vivian met her longtime partner Ronald “Ronnie” Colvin. While living in Columbus, Vivian worked for ten years as an administrative assistant at Project Linden. She was very active in her church, Bethel A.M.E. She also danced with the African dance troupe Uhuru, performing all around the Columbus area.

Following Ronnie’s death Vivian relocated to the Philadelphia area to live with her daughter Chloe and her family. They traveled the country extensively including a trip to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where Vivian enjoyed whale watching. She also cruised several Caribbean islands including: Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbados.

Vivian returned to the Columbus area and settled in Dublin, Ohio not far from her younger daughter Brenda. They enjoyed going to parks, dining out and spending time with her grandsons.

She loved music and always surprised her grandchildren with her knowledge of the latest hits. They affectionately called her “Bibby” because they couldn’t pronounce the “V”s when they were toddlers. Vivian shared her deep faith in God with her children and grandchildren. She would always tell them: “If you do right, things will go right.”

She was preceded in death by her father Grady, mother Virginia, brother, Christopher Jones, sons David and Gregory, nephew Leonard Smith, and niece Nakisha “Kizzy” Williams.

She leaves to cherish her memory: daughters Chloe Beal, Brenda McMillian; grandchildren Chantal Smith (Darren), Michael and Herbie “Trae” McMillian, Justin Renfrow; step grandson Kyle Miller; great grandchildren Jackson Cruz Kendall, Camille, Maxwell and Miles Smith; sisters Brenda Smith, Jacqueline Williams, Patricia Jones, Tina Guild; brother Marvin Crowe, and a host of loving nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and cousins.

Services for Vivian will be private for her family and she will be laid to rest in the Oakwood Cemetery.

Arrangements have been entrusted with the Hanneman-Chudzinski-Keller Funeral Home, 416 S. Arch St., Fremont, Ohio 43420.

Online condolences, as well as a fond memory may be sent to Vivian’s family by visiting www.hannemanfuneralhomes.com

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