Beverlye Hyman Fead may be petite in stature, but she’s mighty in resolve.
Her résumé reads like a Who’s Who in Forbes Magazine: author, artist, athlete, photographer, interior designer, blogger, national public speaker for living with cancer, documentarian, mother of two, grandmother of five, and wife. This woman’s got game!
A resident of both Montecito and Los Angeles, Hyman Fead’s world took an unexpected turn 11 years ago when she was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. She worked with her “team of angels” to stabilize her condition through medication.
Feeling blessed, helping others to live with their diagnosis became a part of her life’s work to “pay it forward.” Her experience became the impetus for numerous “living with cancer” projects, including two books, speaking engagements, a documentary, congressional advocacy, and awards for her work with the American Cancer Society.
On Nov. 16, Hyman Fead will be honored, along with Rebekah Malloy Reimer, at the sold-out American Cancer Society’s annual Riviera Ball at El Encanto Santa Barbara. As the event’s keynote speaker, she’ll talk about how research has changed the face of cancer and has given people new hope.
In addition to her work for cancer research and support, Hyman Fead’s latest passion has been connecting nature and aging through the lens of her Minolta 35mm camera, an old friend from her time as a photojournalist for golf and interior design magazines.
At any time of the day you may see Hyman Fead — “Bev” to her friends — walking on the beach and taking photographs of the rock formations that hug the coast between Butterfly and Miramar beaches along Montecito’s Gold Coast. Her photography project began at the end of 2012 when she and her husband, Bob Fead, moved beachside.
“As I started walking on the beach daily, a peaceful joy came over me,” she explained. “Every day it was like being in the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz. When the curtain lifted, the water, stones and sand looked like Technicolor. I noticed moon-like stones and rock formations that were weathered but beautiful.”
She says she thought to herself, “Look at all they have endured and they are still here!” She felt they emerged at that point in her life to teach her to “have strength.” The rocks and stones seemed to say, “Look at what they have withstood!”
Her new “sized-down” beach home is elegantly furnished with her favorite pieces. The walls include many beautiful pieces of art, including Hyman Fead’s photographs of her stones and rocks.
After catching the eye of interior designer Bruce Gregga and retailer William Laman, she’ll be having a show featuring her latest photography project at their store, William Laman Furniture & Garden Antiques, 1496 East Valley Road, on Dec. 5. The date kicks off a collective holiday celebration among stores and shops of Montecito’s Upper Village at the intersection of East Valley and San Ysidro roads.
The correlation between photography and aging also sparked a new book idea, Aging in High Heels. For Hyman Fead, stilettos signify sexy, fun and young. Heading into her eighth decade next summer, nothing is slowing her down. Not afraid to admit that some parts of aging stink, many aspects have inspired her to appreciate the benefits of growing older.
Does she have aches and pains? Of course. Her antidote is looking for ways to stay relevant, active and reinventing herself. While a book is in the making, she launched a weekly blog, also named Aging in High Heels. She uses it to relate stories of her life and to feature other women of all ages, work, and stories that inspire her. Click here for Aging in High Heels; the blog has almost 1,000 followers.
Hyman Fead has made it a point to emphasize on her interactive blog that it’s never too late and to view aging with humor instead of despair. It’s “an e-ticket to peace and happiness!” she exclaims.
— Judy Foreman is a Noozhawk columnist and longtime local writer and lifestyles observer. She can be contacted at judyforeman@noozhawk.com. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.