Scholars remember a teacher, mentor

Posted: Dec. 15, 2004

Beverly Kees, left, contributed to an editors’ panel at the Summer 1997 Chips Quinn orientation. Pictured with her is Natilee Dunning, a journalist and former executive editor of the Freedom Forum’s First Amendment Center. Panelists spoke to Scholars about starting a career in the newspaper industry.

Aunt Bev
Everyone called her “Aunt Bev” because of her instincts. She cared, she listened, she helped and she laughed. And then she laughed some more. During our Chips training in San Francisco or at other Freedom Forum events, Aunt Bev always was the one in bright colors who was the last to leave a gathering. She could -- and would -- talk about anything. She was a lover of her profession because she was a lover of words, people and stories.
-- Curtis Esquibel, 1999 Scholar, college counselor and advisor, The Princeton Review, Denver, Colo.

Rice soup
I remember her rice soup, which -- despite her disclaimers -- was delicious. “I'm from Minnesota,” she said, warning that it wouldn't be spicy enough for others. But there was more to good taste than spiciness. She helped me in a number of unbelievable ways.
-- Rodd Cayton, Summer 1997 and 1998 Scholar, reporter, Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star

Stop the press
During my first run as a Chipster in Summer 1996, I sat in the Pacific Coast Center conference room watching the movie “His Girl Friday” and eating excellent Chinese chicken salad. Bev had us watch the movie, not for kicks but to point out the ethical violations that Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell committed. I enjoyed watching how the news industry was portrayed on film. To this day, I can't watch “All The President's Men,” “Citizen Kane” or even the first “Superman” movie without thinking of Bev's “His Girl Friday” assignment. I have a framed picture of the Chips dinner that was held toward the end of my internship in Oakland.

1996 Chips Quinn Scholars (from left) Courtnay Peifer, Brenda Mendoza, Percy Ednalino, Lamara Williams and Erica Woods visiting Freedom Forum offices at Jack London Square in Oakland, Calif.. All were Summer interns at The Oakland Tribune, with the exception of Brenda Mendoza, who was an intern at The Modesto (Calif.) Bee.

The photo shows me speaking behind a podium. Bev is standing behind me, smiling like a teacher watching her student graduate. The photo means something to me because it reminds me how far I have come as a journalist. I don't think I would have come this far if not for people like her.
-- Percy Ednalino, Summer 1996, 1997 and 1998 Scholar, reporter, Visalia (Calif.) Times-Delta

Perfect bun
Always a perfect bun pinned atop her head and donning an eclectic, cultural wardrobe. Being the pristine editor Bev was, she probably would tell us that sentence was a fragment or too loaded or something. That just goes to show how near-perfect she was in every way. Bev was a sweetheart, a professional. She lit up a room and commanded the attention of all in her presence. She will be missed. Our prayers go out to all.
-- Mark Jennings, Summer 2000 Scholar, executive director, Los Angeles Ten Point Foundation; and Zerline Hughes Jennings, Summer 1998 Scholar, president, Press Prep

On the bus
During my Summer as a Chips Quinn Scholar, I spent almost every Monday with Beverly. Some of our development was at the Pacific Coast Center, and some of it was away. “Away” usually meant a day trip somewhere interesting. One trip in particular stands out -- a day trip to Angel Island, the onetime immigration station in the middle of San Francisco Bay. Beverly was there with us every step of the way on the tour, including climbing stairs carved into a mountain. Those stairs seemed to go on forever. That ended our walking for the day, because soon after Beverly flagged down a tour bus and we rode the rest of the tour. The tour guide’s facial expression seemed to say, “Well, this bus is not free.” Beverly said, “Money is no object.” And we all hopped on. God bless you, Beverly.
-- Lamara Williams-Hackett, Summer 1996 Scholar, news researcher, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.

1999 Bay Area Scholars were joined by Beverly Kees (left, in sunglasses), Karen Catone (center), and staff on a tour of Angel Island, a former immigration station in San Francisco Bay.

Matriarch
I always have considered Bev the matriarch of the Freedom Forum Pacific Coast Center, where our Chips Quinn cluster spent many days. She always treated us with the utmost respect, and the sweet intonations in her voice always were soothing in times when we were working through the kinks of our craft. Her door always was open to us -- home or office, which was adorned with cartoons from everywhere. This is a huge loss to our community, but her memory will live strong in my mind forever.
-- Danielle Samaniego, Summer 1999 and 2000 Scholar, reporter, Ledger Dispatch, Antioch, Calif.

Always Bev
A warm smile, a generous spirit and so much integrity that you wanted to do better -- if only to make her flash that wide grin. This is how I remember Beverly Kees. I was a 1997 Chipster at The Oakland Tribune. I had the privilege of working with Beverly every Monday at the Pacific Coast Center, of learning from this amazingly bright woman, of having dinner in that crammed San Francisco apartment, of being in her presence. And if she saw punctuation errors in this tribute, she would have a fit. That, however, is why I enjoyed her. Beverly was always Bev -- no matter who she was with, what she was doing, or where she was. I am saddened by her death, truly shocked. Journalism has lost a great warrior. My prayers are with her family.
-- Alicia Gooden, Summer 1997 Scholar, reporter, The Wenatchee (Wash.) World

Potato omelet
There is so much wonderfulness about Bev’s dedication to young people and to journalism. But what captures the essence of Bev for me is the potato omelet. It was 1995. I had two small children, and I had shattered my ankle. I had to manage life for the first month from a wheelchair. We lived about 30 minutes away by car from where Bev lived in Arlington, Va. Bev didn’t have a car. But that didn’t stop a woman on a culinary mission. She hopped on buses (and sometimes took a cab) and came to my house twice a week to make dinner for me and my family. The first night was Aunt Bev’s famous potato omelet. It was so perfect and comforting that she made it every time thereafter. I have tried to replicate the omelet, with little luck. Beverly was magic that way. Thank you, Bev, for your boundless generosity, for promoting my career early on (along with those of endless others), and for sharing your magic recipes. And I promise to never again sub tarragon for the anise in your wild rice and turkey soup.  
-- Mary Ann Hogan, Chips Quinn writing coach

Mentor with stories 
Beverly stands out in my mind when I think of my Chips Quinn experience. She was a very accomplished woman, and I was inspired by her experience and her poise. She was the kind of mentor whose stories would never fall flat and whose wisdom never failed to register. In the time she spent with my class, there was no mistaking her dedication and passion for what she was doing. I'm grateful she was available to us. She will be missed.
-- Tracey Compton, Fall 1999 Scholar, press relations associate, Callison Architecture, Inc., Seattle, Wash.

She taught us
 I had the pleasure of knowing Beverly during the Summer of 1998 in San Francisco. I was a CQ intern at The Oakland Tribune. We spent many Mondays in San Francisco in workshops that Beverly led, from news writing to newsroom behavior and goal setting to carrying on the Chips Quinn Scholar tradition. Like so many others connected to the program, I am devastated at the news of her death. One thing she taught us: Always present yourself in the best way possible. This is something that I continue to do today. Beverly, may you rest in peace.
-- Graig Brooks, Summer 1998 Scholar, production technician, Comcast, El Cerrito, Calif.

Inspired
I met Beverly only a few times, but I do remember that she was a woman who made me laugh. Although I am not in journalism now, I remember being inspired by her personality and her story.
-- Joy Green, Summer 2000 Scholar, teacher, DuBois High School, Baltimore, Md.

Feeling special
This news has come as such a shock to me because we were just having dinner at a New California Media event in Sacramento a couple of weeks ago. Beverly is one of the reasons why I reconnected with the Northern California chapter of SPJ. She was such a great person to be around because she had the ability to make you feel special. She contributed so much to the journalism community here in the Bay Area. Her energy will be missed.
-- Rowena T. Millado, 1999 Scholar, creative director, SacObserver.com

Great friend
Beverly was a great friend to all. She and her good spirits will be sadly missed by a lot of us who were fortunate to know her. Bev's passing is another reminder that every moment we share is to be treasured.
-- Felix Gutierrez, journalism professor, University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication, and Freedom Forum Diversity Institute trustee. Dr. Gutierrez is the former senior vice president and executive director of the Freedom Forum’s Pacific Coast Center

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