In Remembrance

Beverly Bogart

Beverly Bogart, a longtime area resident, died on March 15 at her home in Palo Alto; she was 94. Beverly was born in Buenos Aires in 1925, the daughter of Solomon and Pauline Sokolow, who had recently emigrated from Russia along with their young son Samuel. Following the death of her father, she came to the United States at the age of 11 with her mother and brother, settling in Los Angeles, where she attended LA High and UCLA. In 1947 she married Louis Bogart, a war veteran then studying physics at Cal Tech.

They moved to the Bay Area in 1952, both eventually going to work for Stanford University, where Beverly was a librarian in the Law Library until her retirement in 1987. Following their retirement, Beverly and Louis traveled extensively. Louis died in 2005, at the age of 89.

Both Bev and Lou were actively engaged in progressive political causes throughout their lives. In 1948 Bev worked on the presidential campaign of Henry Wallace of the Progressive Party, personally collecting a large campaign contribution from film star Edward G. Robinson. In 1969 she served on Stanford's Low Cost Housing (Moulton) Committee reporting on the need for low and moderate cost housing in the Stanford area. She was also involved in the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 60s and 70s, and a life-long and vocal supporter of the rights and dignity of all.

In retirement, she was an active member of the Senior Center of the Palo Alto Jewish Community Center, where she served on committees and participated in arts programs and current affairs groups. She met and befriended many recent arrivals from the east coast and Russia, and volunteered for many years at the South Palo Alto Food Closet.

At the Moldaw Residences, where she was one of the first residents and lived from 2009 on, she continued to serve on numerous committees, and played an active part in welcoming new residents

Beverly was an avid lover of music and theatre, especially enjoying both opera and classic films. At Moldaw she joined the Moldaw Singers. She was a long-time member of the Wagner Society of Northern California, and continued to hold season tickets to San Francisco Opera, the Lamplighters, and West Bay Opera, where she never missed a performance.

She is survived by her children, Richard Bogart and Judy Bogart-Hyde, both of Palo Alto, and by two grandchildren, Tristram Bogart and Zoë Bogart.