Her father hid in the ….
Her father hid in the compartment of a wagon, and her mother got out aboard the ill-fated SS Norge. The ship went aground near a tiny islet called Rockall, 280 miles off the coast of Great Britain, on June 28, 1904. When the ship hit the reef, it sank in 20 minutes, killing more than 800 onboard, including half her mother’s family. Eight-year-old Dora floated at sea for seven days before being rescued.
Coven married Dr. Arnold Coven in Brooklyn, New York, in 1952. The couple had three children: Eve White, Vikki Broida and Justin Coven.
She went back to school when her children were young, earning a bachelor’s degree from McGill University and a master’s in guidance and counseling from University of Arizona. She worked as a counselor at University of Akron.
After a move to Detroit, Michigan, and a divorce, she completed her Ph.D at Wayne State University at the age of 45. She spent the next quarter century working as a psychologist in private practice.
Following her retirement, she pursued many interests. She taught “Cross-Train Your Brain” courses for seniors, made dolls that won awards and self-published “The Gods of Canaan,” a historical, biblical fiction novel that is still available at amazon.com.
“During my first year of retirement in Troy, my badly broken arm became the impetuous for me to start writing,” she wrote in the author’s note. “I read many books on ancient history, and soon became intrigued by the Hebrew Bible. How did it come to be written? What was happening at the time? How did the people live? Prior to starting on my research journey, I had never opened a Bible; now I own six. I spent seven years writing, “The Gods of Canaan,” as it took a great deal of time to sift through the vast amount of available research material.”
In 2010, she moved to Leisure World. It was a renaissance for her as she immediately got involved in Mutual 5 and GRF government. Her commitment to Mutual 5 is evident today.
As CFO for two years, she arranged to pay property taxes one month early, according to her GRF candidate’s statement.
She also helped update the requirements to buy into Mutual 5, collaborating with Realtors and other Mutual presidents to streamline the process and save residents money.
And she helped lead efforts to install demand-type hybrid water heaters to save money in 2012 and to get smokeless burners in Mutual 5 stoves to prevent cooking fires. She saw to it that Mutual 5’s reserves were up to 92.5% funded and began a roundtable with expert speakers so Mutual CFOs could share common problems and possible solutions.
For fun, she loved the Enter Laughing and Theater clubs. Her daughter Eve White said: “Betty was a keen listener, and people loved talking to her and sharing their stories. She cared deeply for people, her friends, clients and, of course, her family.”
And she was brave. Upon being diagnosed with mesothelioma, she stepped down from the Mutual board and chose not to undergo treatment. She moved into a specially designed mother-in-law studio in Eve’s home and finished her life well.
“She was fiercely independent and made her own choices to the end,” Eve said. “Even her choice to not do chemo at 87 was one of the bravest decisions a person can make, to slowly succumb to a disease that takes your strength and finally your independence.”
Coven unflinchingly faced her own mortality. Her courage impacted even her final nurses and caregivers. One social worker told Eve that Coven changed the way she works with hospice patients.
Survivors include children Eve (Gregzie)White, Vikki (Richard) Broida and Justin Coven; grandchildren Talia (Bethany)Mitchell, Destin Diabankouezi, Justine Coven, Numen Coven and Sentient Coven; and great grandchildren Kallista Benson and Ainia Lorn.
A memorial service will be held Sunday, Oct. 30, at 5:15 p.m. via Zoom. Contact Eve White at evewhite562@gmail.com or (562) 307-3426 for more information.
In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to International Bird Rescue in San Pedro in memory of Coven. Checks can be mailed to International Bird Rescue, 4369 Cordelia Road, Fairfield, CA 94354 or made online at https://www.birdrescue.org/ get-involved/donate-with-tribute/. Donors can check the box that says “This gift is in honor, memory, or support of someone” and fill in Coven’s name.
—Ruth Osborn managing editor
