Daisy Beschenbossel - Obituary

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MRS. BESCHENBOSSEL'S VIDEO TRIBUTE* Daisy Mold Beschenbossel, age 91, passed away Dec. 5 in Annapolis, MD. She was a resident of Morrisville/Yardley, P A, for nearly 50 years and a longtime member of the First Presbyterian Church of Morrisville. She was briefly a resident of Swan Creek Retirement Center in Toledo, OH, and most recently a resident of Atria Manresa in Annapolis, MD. Originally from Minnesota, Daisy was born May 4, 1916 in the small town of Harris to Patton Davis (PD) and Irene Reed Mold. She was especially proud of her Swedish heritage and became the unofficial keeper of the records for her family tree. The Mold family, which also included younger brother Jim, relocated to Duluth. Daisy graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1937 with a degree in Biology and a minor in Physical Education, and her teaching credentials. She loved to tell how she was named the most athletic girl in college and often related how she was the only graduate in Botany whose first and last names were the names of plants (Daisy Mold). An independent young woman for her time, Daisy ventured forth to Bessemer, MI, where she taught high school science and physical education and coached basketball, volleyball, archery and field hockey. One night her father, a civil engineer, brought home to dinner a handsome young engineer and army officer by the name of Harlo Peter Beschenbossel to which Daisy recalled making the infamous comment to her mother, "I will never marry a man with such a long name." The rest was history. Daisy and Harlo, who at that time was a major in the U.S. Army and who would eventually retire as a colonel, married on Aug. 23, 1943. Two days later he was shipped off to fight on all three fronts in World War II. Theirs was a happy marriage of 42 years. Daisy focused on homemaking with the zeal that she had focused on teaching, raising two children, Dr. John Harlo Beschenbossel, a dentist in Washington, D.C., and Mary (Beschenbossel) Tosi, a piano teacher and former journalist in Toledo, OH. She was an active volunteer and librarian in her children's schools as well as a talented seamstress. She also loved decorating and refinishing furniture. Daisy followed her husband on his many job assignments as a civil engineer first in Pierre, SD, and then for the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C. twice and also Trenton, NJ. She and her husband loved their home in Bucks County, P A during his job in Trenton as head of the NJ Highway Department for the federal government, and it was there they chose to retire. Her husband died in 1985. She went on multiple cruises with her husband after his retirement and enjoyed traveling to the Orient as well as Europe. They also participated in a Princeton, NJ Dance Club. Always independent, Daisy lived in her own home until 2006 when she had to move for health reasons. An unusual achievement is that she taught herself to swim and got her drivers license at age 75. She was active in the organization, To Live Again, where she met her longtime best friend and companion, of 20 years, Carl Snow, who is 92 years old. Daisy was a supportive grandparent to her grandchildren, attending countless ballet performances when her granddaughters danced at Toledo Ballet, Ballet Met in Columbus, and Dayton Ballet, as well as attending football and basketball games for her grandson. Her proudest moment was when her three grandchildren were named valedictorians of their respective high schools and she was there to hear their speeches. Although macular degeneration and poor health was taking its toll, she proudly walked down the aisle at her granddaughters' weddings, and she was thrilled to hold her great grandson, Dominic, for the first time. Daisy is survived by her daughter, Mary B. Tosi of Toledo, OH, her granddaughter, Christa (Tosi) Volpicelli and husband Nic and great grandson Dominic of Short Hills, NJ, her granddaughter Julia Tosi and husband Nathaniel of Bay Village, OH, and her grandson Nicholas Tosi of Cleveland, OH. She is also survived by her son, Dr. John H. Beschenbossel and his wife, Jeane, of Davidsonville, MD, their daughters Karen and Kim Weber, granddaughters Lisa, Jacky, and Brittany, and great granddaughter Asiah. Visitation will be held on Monday, Jan. 7, 2008 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8pm at the George P. Kalas Funeral Home, 2973 Solomons Island Road, Edgewater, MD 21037. A funeral service will be held at Arlington National Cemetery on Jan. 8, 2008 at 11:00 A.M., where Daisy will be laid to rest next to her husband, Col. Harlo P. Beschenbossel. Although death is a separation for a time, Daisy's strong Christian faith made her ready to embrace life on the other side and reunite with her beloved family members who passed before her. Rather than be sad, she would have us remember her as being the strong, independent, feisty Swede, drinking the ever present cup of coffee. When asked by a waitress if she wanted decaf coffee, she would always retort, "Bring me the hi-test!" One would think Daisy Beschenbossel embraced the adventure of her passing with the enthusiasm and independent spirit with which she faced life. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, South Atlantic Division, Attn: Memorial Gifts, 4240 Park Place Ct., Glen Allen, VA 23060 or Macular Degeneration Foundation, P.O. Box 531313, Henderson, NV. 89053 or a charity of ones choice.