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Rest in Peace, Friend
“Good things come in small packages, ” is a well-known saying that attempts to explain how being small in stature, is not a measure of a person’s worth. Big or a twig, we each have talents that make us unique and special.
Beth Knepp personified that idiom, a pretty, forthright, and tiny lady – with a HUGE heart.
Beth was born in New Jersey in 1948. Her childhood and young adult years were typical to those of most women born in the post-war USA. Family time, friends, sports, parties and an interest in politics. She met Jack, a fun-loving sports fan with a big smile and twinkling eyes. They married and together raised two sons – Jeffery and Brian. Beth worked as a speech and language pathologist but she often said the part of her career she most enjoyed was working in the classroom with special needs children. They responded enthusically to her warm and caring personality, as did most people she met.
Beth had never liked the cold weather, so she and Jack opted for early retirement and moved to Merida during the first decade of the new millenium. They quickly met other recently-arrived international couples who enjoyed local travel, the beach, trips to arqueological zones and trying out new restaurants. Beth joined the Merida English Library, Democrats Abroad, and the International Women’s Club. After several years in Merida, Jack’s father came to live with them. Beth cared for her father-in-law, and he even joined them on several tours to different parts of the country. He often got confused, but before he died he said Beth’s care made his final years “as good as it gets”.
Beth was generous with everyone. Friends she made at activities organised by the International Women’s Club (IWC) were a big part of her life in Merida. She and her great IWC friend, Theresa Diaz, helped a women’s cooperative in Santa Elena, a town 100 kilometers from Merida. These women made colorful market bags and other products that the entire international community bought, thanks to Beth’s super-pursuasive sales tecnique.
When Jack died, before the Pandemic, Beth went to live in the USA, but not for long. She returned to Merida because she missed the sun and the warmth of friends she had here. Beth was always thoughtful but she had little patience for people who did not respect others. Beth told a great story about overhearing someone making disparaging remarks about a local custom. She stretched up to her full five foot-zero hieght and turned to him.
“You know what?” she said, “I’ve noticed there are things people don’t understand about words.”
“Such as?” the fellow asked.
“Such as considering them carefully. A person should run their words through their teeth a while, before allowing them to exit the mouth. Because once they’ve come out, they can’t be put back.”
Beth Knepp will be long-remembered by the friends she made in Merida. She was a dedicated club woman, serving the IWC in multiple capacities – Treasurer 2009; Chair of the Charity Committee 2010 and 2011; Vice President Membership 2012; Treasurer 2017. And of course her heart’s labor of love, the Santa Elena Project.
She was a cheerful person, a wonderful friend and supportive always to good causes.
We will miss her so much.
JvdG – for the International Women’s Club – Mérida December 4, 2023
