Longtime NAEYC member and prominent advocate for the importance of play to children’s learning, Bev Bos, passed away on February 4, 2016. Bev was a frequent and popular presenter at NAEYC’s annual conference, routinely drawing audiences of over 1,000 attendees for her sessions, which engaged teachers in the kinds of fun and authentic activities she knew worked best with children. Her presentations—often with her son-in-law Michael Leeman—were described by NAEYC members as “always inspiring” and enjoyable “reminders to keep children at the heart of our work.” She was “like a giant magnet, attracting every teacher with her creative, inventive, and sometimes outrageous ideas to engage children.”
We invite you to read the eulogy posted below by Tom Rotelli, a parent at Roseville Community Preschool, the school where Bev was director for nearly 50 years, and contribute your own memories in the comments section.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is a professional membership organization that works to promote high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8, by connecting early childhood practice, policy, and research. We advance a diverse, dynamic early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children. The association comprises nearly 60,000 individual members of the early childhood community and more than 50 Affiliates, all committed to delivering on the promise of high-quality early learning. Together, we work to achieve a collective vision: that all young children thrive and learn in a society dedicated to ensuring they reach their full potential.