Philip Cavnar Beverly, Jr.'s Obituary
It is with immense sadness that the family of Philip Cavnar Beverly, Jr. announce his passing on September 11, 2025, at the age of 69 after a brave battle with cancer. Phil was born on October 5, 1955, in Wilmington, North Carolina, to Philip C. Beverly, Sr. and Virginia Quinlivan Beverly. His family relocated to Jacksonville, Florida, in 1960, where, as a youth, he enjoyed the outdoors, hunting and fishing in the stillearly-developed Jacksonville Deerwood subdivision and at the family farm in Ochlocknee, Georgia.
Phil’s parents (father, being Assistant General Counsel of CSX Railroad and mother, being an Assistant U.S. Attorney and later, a Circuit Court Judge) introduced Phil to the field of law at a young age. Upon graduation from law school and passing the Bar, Phil’s father presented Phil to the Court with Phil’s mother swearing him in inside of her courtroom.
Upon graduating from Jacksonville’s Wolfson High School, Phil attended the University of Notre Dame. It was at Notre Dame on September 20, 1974, that Phil met Judy, his future wife. After graduating from Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Arts in English, Phil returned to Florida and attended the University of Florida, where he earned an M.B.A. in Economics and a Juris Doctorate.
Phil and Judy married in 1984, and were blessed with the birth of their first son, Matthew Cassidy, in 1991, and with the birth of their second son, Ryan Patrick, in 1994. Phil passed on his love of the outdoors to his sons on their annual fishing and mountain hiking trips to the North Georgia mountains in the fall and to the North Carolina mountains in the summer.
Phil practiced law with true professionalism and recognized membership in the Bar as a great honor that required integrity and deliberate purpose. Phil displayed his commitment to the legal profession beyond his private practice as a member of the Eighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association (President 1992-1993), the Eighth Judicial Circuit Bench/Bar Committee (1991-1994), the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court Pro Bono Committee (Chair, 1993-2008), the Florida Bar Eighth Judicial Circuit Unlicensed Practice of Law Committee (2004-2010), the James C. Adkins, Jr. American Inn of Court (1994-2022; President 2005-2006), as a Group Discussion Leader for the Eighth Judicial Circuit Professionalism Seminar (2002-2022), and as a member of the Eighth Judicial Circuit Professionalism Panel (2014-2022). Phil also participated in the Florida Bar Foundation IOTA Law Student Assistance (Mentor) Program (1999) and was honored to have been a recipient of the James L. Tomlinson Professionalism Award (2011).
Phil was predeceased by his parents, Phil Sr. and Virginia Beverly. Phil is survived by his wife of 41 years, Judy; sons Matthew Cassidy Beverly (wife, Fumie and daughter, Julie Rozalyn Beverly) of Tokyo, Japan, and Ryan Patrick Beverly of Tampa, Florida; and siblings Laura Beverly, M.D., of Jacksonville, Florida, Circuit Judge Thomas Beverly (wife, Katherine) of Jacksonville, Florida, and Commander J. Frederick Beverly, USN (Ret.) (wife, Sherry) of Ashburn, Virginia. He also leaves behind nieces and nephews Laura (Sr. Madeleine), Jack, Will, Elizabeth, and Daniel.
A celebration of the Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, September 29, beginning at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Faith Catholic Church (747 NW 43rd Street, Gainesville, Florida) with Father Jose Kulathinal, C.M.I. officiating. The Mass at 11:00 a.m. will be immediately after a Rosary that will be recited at 10:30 a.m. for family. A reception following the Mass will be held in the Parish Life Center at Holy Faith Catholic Church.
What’s your fondest memory of Philip?
What’s a lesson you learned from Philip?
Share a story where Philip's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Philip you’ll never forget.
How did Philip make you smile?