Beatrice Alice Whitehead, teacher, basket artist
Beatrice Alice Whitehead, 98, passed away quietly at her Lincoln family farm Saturday, March 1, 2025, surrounded by family and loved ones. The beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother will be greatly missed by family and friends.
Born July 24, 1926, in Lansdowne, Pa., to Joseph and Florence Fina, she attended high school and then received a scholarship to Rosemont College, where she graduated with a teachers degree with a minor in arts. She married her high school sweetheart, Mort Whitehead, and settled outside Swarthmore, Pa. She raised her family of four and became a school teacher at Lakeview Elementary in Ridley Township. Teaching was her passion. After retiring, she and her husband, Mort, moved to the family farm in Lincoln. She quickly developed new friendships and joined various organizations, including Milford Garden Club and Red Hat Society, and became an active member of Christ Church. She rediscovered her interest in art and began crafting one-of-a-kind baskets using natural materials often collected from trips and hikes at the farm. She exhibited her baskets at Rehoboth Art League and won several awards. Her other passion was travelling the world, meeting new people, and having unique experiences. Her travels took her from the fjords of Norway to the upper reaches of the Amazon and everywhere in between. She loved spending time with her dogs and the grandkids. Always with a book by her side, she enjoyed happy hours on the porch overlooking the farm.
She is predeceased by her husband, Mort Whitehead; and her brothers Harry "Buddy" and Leonard Fina. She leaves behind a lifetime of warm memories for her children, Marc, John, Robert and Jane Whitehead; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be held at 4 p.m., Sunday, March 9, at Berry-Short Funeral Home, 119 N.W. Front St., Milford, with a viewing from 2 to 4 p.m. Rev. Harry Hiltner of Christ Church Milford will officiate. Following the service, a brief celebration will be held at 5 p.m., at Baker Hall, Christ Church, Milford.
The family extends their gratitude to Compassionate Care Hospice for the wonderful care and attention provided during Bea's final weeks of life, as well as to the members of Christ Church for their unwavering support.
Online condolences may be sent at shortfuneralservicesandcremation.com/obituaries/beatrice-whitehead.
