Beryl McKenzie, 87; Palisadian Pioneer

Beryl Ford McKenzie, a member of one of the prominent early families of Pacific Palisades, passed away peacefully at her home on May 6. She was 87. Born on December 10, 1916, in Lynchburg, Virginia, Beryl was the beloved daughter of Rep. Leland Ford Sr. (who served in Congress from 1939-1943) and Elizabeth Ford. She attended Lincoln Junior High and graduated from Santa Monica High School. On October 29, 1939, she married Stewart McKenzie in Santa Monica, and they enjoyed 63 years of marriage together. Beryl and Stewart were a pioneering couple, moving to the Palisades soon after they were married. They purchased a lot on Grenola for $250 in the middle of a bean field, where they built their first home at a cost of $2,000. At that time, there was only one other house on the Grenola/Las Casas mesa between Sunset and the bluffs. Beryl’s parents followed and bought a 43-acre tract above Sunset (from the edge of Temescal Canyon over to Las Casas) that was farmed in wheat and alfalfa. In 1950, Beryl and Stewart built another home in this tract on Alcima. It was in this colonial-style home, which Beryl designed, that they lived until the time of their passing. Beryl, a housewife, belonged to the Santa Monica Junior Women’s Club and was an original member of the Palisades Junior Women’s Club. She was blessed with four children. Predeceased by her husband and her son Scott, Beryl is survived by her daughter Cathrine and son Cary, who reside in the Palisades, and son Bret, who resides in Hagerman, Idaho. She also leaves behind 11 grandchildren, including Madeline, Colin, Seth, Hanna, Matthew, Robert, Matt, Kevin, Sean, Dennis, and Jim, and nine great-grandchildren, who all loved her greatly. Beryl was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She will be deeply missed by all and remembered as a person who cared for family and friends, and for her wonderful sense of humor. A memorial service will be held tomorrow, May 14, at 11 a.m. at the Buerge Chapel on Haverford.