Bea Devine (r) with her daughter-in-law Gail Devine, now retired RCE accounting specialist, at RCE retired faculty and staff luncheon in 2014.
Beatrice (Kerico) Devine passed away on February 26, 2021 at Shady Oaks Assisted Living in Bristol, Connecticut. She was 97 years old. She was born in Shenandoah, PA September 2, 1923. She resided in East Brunswick, NJ until moving to Connecticut in 2018.
Devine retired from Rutgers University on April 1, 1989 after working for New Jersey Cooperative Extension Service for 29 years as the coordinator of extension information services. She started her career at Rutgers as a secretary for John Gerwig, former dean and director of Cooperative Extension. Her determination to improve her skills led her to complete her education and receive her college degree in business in 1975. Devine continued her studies and went on to receive her master’s degree in education. In an era when societal norms were drastically different than they are today and opportunities for women were limited, Devine was able to achieve her degrees and make the Dean’s list, all while balancing work and raising a family. As coordinator of extension information services her work in large part was responsible for the success of the extension computer network throughout the state of New Jersey. Devine was also on the cutting edge of the electronic age, as Cooperative Extension was the first division to have computers. She taught members of the faculty how to use a computer.
After her retirement from Rutgers she continued to work for the New Jersey Turfgrass Association as their executive secretary until December, 2004.
She married John A .Devine on February 23, 1946. They had three sons. He predeceased her in 1978. She is survived by her sons John A. Devine and his wife Gail, of Palm Bay Florida (formally of East Brunswick, NJ), Robert E. Devine and his wife Robyn, of Pahrump, NV and Joseph M. and his wife Amy, of Helotes, TX.; six grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren and one great- great grandson. She is also survived by two sisters, Shirley Greck of Linwood, NJ and Janice Yagiello of Cumming, GA
A memorial service will be held at Holy Cross Burial Park, 840 Cranbury South River Road, Jamesburg on Friday April 23, 2021 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Alzheimer’s Association in her memory.
