Beverly Tarpley McMurray

Beverly Loraine Tarpley McMurray died 11 May 2023 at 80 years old of complications from metastatic breast cancer. Beverly was born at Georgia Baptist Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, to her parents, Ruth Barnes Tarpley and McKinley Hobart Tarpley. She grew up on Gresham Avenue in East Atlanta along with her two younger sisters and was a true native Atlanta, although in the 1990s she moved to Marietta, Georgia and adopted it as her new hometown. Beverly attended Atlanta Public Schools- first Gordon Elementary and then Murphy High School. After high school, she attended Reinhardt Junior College (now Reinhardt University) in Waleska, GA, obtaining an associate’s degree in 1962, followed by two different stints at Georgia State College (now Georgia State University), where she first obtained a Bachelor of Arts, with honors, majoring in Mathematics and graduating in 1964, and then a Master in Business Information Systems degree in 1975 (she had a 3.91 out of 4.0 GPA for the MBIS). Beverly had an active and varied work life. She began in 1964 as an elementary school teacher in the Atlanta Public Schools system, became an engineering associate at Western Electric for several years starting in 1967, taught business communications and marketing for a year at Mercer University while finishing her MBIS, and eventually put her MBIS degree to good use as a programmer analyst, first as an employee at companies that included Microdata, Control Data Business Centers, and eventually (since 1985) as a self-employed consultant where she helped clients with many different software-related needs, including such things as inventory and tracking software for companies including manufacturers and commercial laundries, and Medicare-compliant medical billing software for medical practices. She also spent several years helping operate M&K Builders, a family-owned company that was involved in developing a small subdivision in central North Carolina. Beverly retired from paid work at the age of 72. When not working for pay, Beverly enjoyed a range of different activities, including, among others: running or at least actively participating in a long list of different organizations such as the Southern Bicycle League, her daughter’s Girl Scout Troop, homeowner’s associations, numerous groups related to her professional activities, the Cobb Democratic Women, and the Cobb County Democratic Committee; gardening; cake baking and decorating; hosting social events; and reading. She did not believe in lying around doing nothing when there were useful things that needed doing, and if there was a group that needed to be organized and operated, she could usually be found doing the organization and operations. She earned a number of awards over the years- too many to list here. Beverly was predeceased by her parents and by her former spouse, Thomas Watts McMurray. She is survived by her only child, Loraine McMurray DiSalvo; Loraine’s spouse, Anthony; Loraine’s daughter Tina Marie Purkis (Gordon); two great-grandchildren, Matthew James Hemerlein and Amanda Marie Hemerlein; her two sisters, Doris Tarpley Lester (Dan) and Joyce Tarpley McIntosh; her niece Kari Roberts (Jason); her nephews Kane Lester (Shonna) and Cameron McIntosh; her great-nieces McKinley Lester and Lily Roberts; and her great-nephews Brooks Lester and Luke Roberts. Beverly is also survived by her long-time best friend and life partner, William R. (“Bill”) Bolton, III; Bill’s children, Will and Jarrett Bolton; and Jarrett’s children, Adalaide Bolton and Hannah Burtnette. She will be missed by her family and by her many, many friends. Finally, Beverly cared greatly about helping others. She asked that persons who wished to honor her memory consider doing so by making donations in her name to Native American Veterans Assistance, the NAACP, the United Negro College Fund, or Disabled American Veterans. A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, June 11, 2023 at The Venue, 855 Church Street, Marietta, Georgia 30060.

Beverly Tarpley McMurray

September 23, 1942 - May 11, 2023