girl scouts of the colonial coastWe are saddened to share news of the passing of Gold Award Girl Scout Maylea Beasley who was a member of Girl Scout Troop 475 in Virginia Beach. Maylea was a freshman at James Madison University and was struck by a motorcyclist as she was crossing an intersection on November 14.
Jennifer Lynch, her Girl Scout leader, along with the five alum who were members in the troop with Maylea, have been sharing memories of Maylea and want all to know how committed Maylea was to Girl Scouting. Maylea's sister, Katrina who is a year older, was also part of Troop 475.
Maylea earned the highest award as a Girl Scout, the Gold Award in 2018. Her project, Education on Aviation, helped connect children to aviation history through a tour of books she organized for the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach. The museum continues to use the special tour of books that are based on grade level for specific exhibits.
Maylea joined Girl Scouts in second grade as a Brownie. Her good nature made it easy for her to make friends.
" She was so good hearted," Jennifer Lynch her former Girl Scout leader said. "When I think of Maylea, I think of her laughter - it filled the room. She always found something to smile about and always helped us find the humor in a situation."
Jennifer recalled the many activities the girls did together, including traveling to London and Paris in 2016 and to Savannah, Georgia to visit the birthplace of Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low in 2017.
Along with travel, she loved doing community service and volunteered over the years serving meals at JCOC, participating in an annual holiday program at Baylake Retirement Home, participating in the annual Veterans Day Parade, collecting DVD’s for Veteran’s, and participating in programs with at risk youth at Club Sandwich.
"She loved helping the environment and doing outdoor things like camping," Jennifer said. "When all the girls in the troop graduated in 2019, Maylea stayed registered and looked for Girl Scout things to do. We went on a white-water tubing trip with the Wild Things last year. The last Girl Scout function she was part of was outdoors. The moms and the girls of Troop 475 got together this past summer to have a beach day - that's the last photo I have of our troop together.”
Our condolences go out to Maylea's parents, Brock and Shari, and to her sister Katrina as well as to the Girl Scouts of Troop 475. No funeral service is scheduled at this time. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
To honor Maylea, many of her school friends will be wearing purple on Friday, November 20th as a remembrance - purple was Maylea's favorite color.
A Touch of Purple
A touch of purple tells me
A blessing is in the making
A touch of purple gives me
A smile when I am hurting
A touch of purple on my way
Is more than color to me
It takes me to the beginning
To shine a light ahead of me
A touch of purple brings me
Confidence to give my best
The belief that I can rise up
To face any manner of test
A touch of purple is always
A gentle reminder from afar
Of many friends who care
No matter where they are
State of Faith
