The Bev Meyer Schloss Story

Interview by Harlan Lyso

As all of us in the PHS Class of 1964 grow older – my wife assures me that while there is no doubt that we are getting older, we don’t have to be getting old – much of how life unfolds depends on one’s perspective.  I just got off the phone with Bev Meyer Schloss, who, despite two knee replacements, multiple bowel surgeries and the very recent loss of her husband Bob, to whom she had been married for almost 60 years, says that she has had an extremely satisfying and blessed life and that she is truly happy. Wow! That is a positive perspective on life that we could all emulate.

Bev, along with her three sisters and their parents moved to Pasco when Bev was in third grade.  She attended parochial school in Kennewick until 7^th grade when she joined us at Mclaughlin Junior High. We remember Bev at PHS for her love for music and theater. She played a role is most of the theater productions, recalling with special joy having played a truly crazy person in The Curious Savage. She also directed a one-act play, Mystery of Moldy Manner, where Rus Rehm, who recently passed away, played the leading man opposite Cathy Crow.

Swing Choir was a special place for Bev, a steppingstone for a lifetime of sharing her musical talents, especially in a church setting.  Bev says that she could sing tenor, alto or soprano parts – although admittedly not bass. After high school she continued to study piano. She recognized that God had given her a gift as a musician, a gift she eagerly shared with others, volunteering as the church musical director for many years and serving as the church pianist for 35 years.

If you have read her profile on the PHS website, you will be aware of how she met her husband, Bob, a PHS graduate in 1963 – a truly compelling story. As Bob was to be activated in the military, they chose to get married in 1965. They lived in Germany for almost four years years where Bob was stationed. They returned to Pasco briefly and both earned their college degrees.  Bev worked for many years for GTE while Bob graduated from Gonzaga as a mechanical engineer managing hydroelectric dams for the Corps of Engineers.  Bev taught art in the elementqary schools as well, being a certificated Montessori teacher while her kids were young.

One of the dams for which Bob was responsible was near Libby, Montana.  They bought 10 acres near Libby and decided to build their own home. I mean truly doing everything themselves from digging trenches for the foundation to plumbing, sheet rocking, flooring and roofing. They did all the construction. While the rest of us were likely saddled much of our lives with mortgages, Bev and Bob decided that was not for them. They saved money, completed a step in the construction, saved some more, built the next step, etc., over several years, often living in a camper on the construction site. Envisioning the Bev I knew in high school doing construction was a bit of a challenge. Seemingly though, Bob was one of those folks for whom anything mechanical came easily. Bev was the consummate assistant. Turns out that they later built another home in Idaho. Same philosophy, same success. Only this house was an underground structure containing over 500 yards of concrete which they poured and finished themselves.

With Bob suffering from cancer, they moved into a townhouse in Spokane this past March 2025 to be closer to his doctors and for Bev to be closer to their children after he passed. He passed away just two days after they made the move. Bev feels blessed to have her daughter and two grandchildren (6 and 10) close by. She is one happy grandmother, with grandkids coming to her home several times a week. In fact, it was challenging to find a time when she and I could talk, as it had to fit into her non-grandma schedule.

Despite desiring to do so, Bev has only been able to attend the 20th PHS reunion, though she stayed in touch with Carol Maxim until she passed away and Linda Wellman. If there is a 65th reunion, she'll plan to be there.

So, how is Bev these days? She says that physically she is much better than she has been in a long time. She sews and quilts, which she says keeps her busy and keeping busy keeps her young.  I asked how she would define herself, and recognizing the recent death of her husband and her having moved into a new home, she described herself as “evolving.”  That is likely reasonably descriptive of where most of us are as we near 80 years old. She is a devoutly spiritual person, and she contends that her faith in God has gotten her through the challenges of life. She says, “Surround yourself with positive people,” and she believes that wherever you have to go, one should be happy.

Clearly throughout her life, Bev has further developed and shared her musical talents, developed an array of practical skills that most of us never acquire, raised two talented and caring children (both valedictorians) and nurtured a loving relationship with her husband for nearly 60 years. Through her selfless caring for others and her energy and enthusiasm for life Bev has enhanced the lives of those she encountered. Yet another extraordinary representative of the Pasco High School class of 1964.

Bev notes that her sister, Joyce, is married to Jack Balwin of our class, and has been for more than 60 years. She also indicates that if you would like to contact her, her email address is bevs1946@gmail.com.