With deep respect and gratitude, we honor the life of Beverley McGhee, a visionary educator, Montessori pioneer, and beloved leader whose influence shaped generations of children, families, and educators in South Florida and far beyond. Beverley passed away peacefully on December 29, 2025, at the age of 96, leaving behind a legacy rooted in devotion to the child and a lifelong commitment to learning.
Beverley’s journey into Montessori education began, fittingly, as an act of love and advocacy for her own children. In 1963, she and her husband, Jim McGhee, Sr., searched for an early childhood program in the Miami area that met her professional standards as an educator. Finding none that aligned with her vision, Beverley did what she would do repeatedly throughout her life—she built what was needed.
That single, courageous decision led to the founding of Alexander Montessori School, an institution that would grow from one kindergarten class into one of the largest and most respected Montessori schools in the country. More than sixty years later, the school serves over 560 students across multiple campuses, including toddler, children’s house, and elementary environments—attended today by some of the children of its earliest alumni.
From the outset, Alexander Montessori earned a reputation as a place where children learn more than a fixed, predetermined curriculum, and where adults genuinely care about and engage with the students and their families. Beverley recognized early that the Montessori Method offered children something rare and essential: respect for their inner drive to learn. She became certified as both a Preschool and Elementary Montessori teacher, and gathered educators around her who shared her unwavering commitment to excellence, compassion, and high expectations.
Guided by the philosophy of Maria Montessori, Beverley believed that education can guide and support every aspect of life. Her work centered on helping children become independent thinkers and joyful learners—an ethos captured in the school’s enduring motto: “To Learn to Love to Learn.” That belief continues to live on in every prepared environment, every focused child, and every teacher inspired by her example.
Beverley’s influence extended well beyond one school. She co-founded and co-directed the AMS-affiliated Montessori Teacher Training Institute (MTTI), helping to prepare and mentor generations of Montessori educators. Her leadership also reached the national level through the American Montessori Society, where she served as a Board Director and was honored in 1999 as an AMS Living Legacy—the Society’s highest recognition. This distinction celebrates individuals whose lifelong service, leadership, and integrity embody Montessori values and strengthen the movement for future generations.
Beverley’s impact has been especially transformative in Florida. As Founder and Director Emerita of the Montessori Florida Coalition, she worked to bring together educators, administrators, parents, and schools around a shared mission: advancing Montessori education through professional development, certification pathways, and community connection. The Coalition’s annual Montessori Education Days Conference, hosted at Barry University, stands as a testament to her belief in collaboration, mentorship, and lifelong learning.
In recognition of her extraordinary contributions, Alexander Montessori School established Beverley McGhee Day, observed each year on April 25. It is a moment for the community to pause, reflect, and give thanks for a woman whose vision continues to guide and inspire.
Those who knew Beverley remember her as steadfast and principled, warm yet exacting, deeply respectful of children, and unapologetically devoted to quality. She believed in potential—especially the potential of the child—and spent her life creating environments where curiosity, confidence, and purpose could flourish.
Her legacy lives on not only in institutions and honors, but in the quiet, daily moments of Montessori life: a child choosing meaningful work, a teacher observing with care, a family discovering the joy of learning together. Through these living expressions of her values, Beverley McGhee remains present—guiding, inspiring, and reminding us what it truly means to honor the child truly.
May her memory continue to bless the Montessori community and the countless lives she touched.