Where is Mavis Beacon?

In 2021, two documentarians announced a new project called “Seeking Mavis Beacon.” Like Betty Crocker, Mavis Beacon was a fictional spokescharacter for an early computer typing program. The documentarians were looking for the woman who portrayed Mavis Beacon, a model named Renee L’Esperance.

While their film ultimately revolved more around the significance of a Black woman being the face of many people’s first contact with computers of any sort, the question of where Renee L’Esperance was today was still central to their project. I knew I could answer this question, probably fairly quickly.

Using newspapers, obituaries, and public records I was able to determine the identity of Renee’s son, whom they do interview in the film. I also was able to sketch out a basic family tree and find FaceBook profiles for many of Renee’s close relatives, as well as finding a Florida address for her which I provided to the two filmmakers. Street views of the Florida address I found and gave the filmmakers line up with the location they filmed as being Renee’s neighborhood in the actual documentary. I was not credited for my research, but I’m happy I was able to help them find Renee and make contact.