We are sorry to announce that Beverly Aarts, Creator of Beverly's English Toffee, passed away peacefully on July 7, 2019, surrounded by her family, after 12 years of living gracefully with Multiple Myeloma. Beverly was born September 9, 1936 in Spokane, WA to Fred and Edna Cochran and moved many times during her childhood, settling with her parents and brother, Bill, in Los Altos as a teenager. Beverly attended the University of Oregon where she was a member of Delta Gamma sorority and where she met her husband, Jan Aarts, a Fulbright student from the Netherlands. She and Jan would live in Eureka and Santa Rosa before settling in Palo Alto in 1959.

Beverly would go on to have five children and begin 6 decades of adventures in charitable works and business ventures – always involving food. Her philanthropic ventures included cooking for the Allied Arts Restaurant, starting a homegrown food co-op and organizing the menu and food for the annual “Lifetimes of Achievement” for Avenidas for 25+ years. She designed and organized the menus for the fundraising events and monthly luncheons at the Elizabeth Gamble Gardens. Beverly was also a successful businesswoman starting with a catering business, a restaurant in Palo Alto, Baskin-Robbins (Menlo Park) for 10 years and eventually Beverly’s English Toffee.

Beverly was a loyal friend and mother figure to many and was capable of boundless unconditional love for anyone who crossed her path, especially her grandchildren. She was everyone’s first champion and made sure all knew their worth. She was a divine cook who never let anyone go hungry. She enjoyed growing her own vegetables, playing bridge and cherished her bible study group and all of her “foodie” friends. She was a member of Palo Alto Garden Club and PEO.

Beverly’s English Toffee will continue in her memory!