Deceased September 18, 2012

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In Memory

Charles “Chuck” Beeching died on Sept. 18, 2012, after a brief illness. Born in Seattle, Chuck came to Amherst via Pennsylvania and joined our class. He majored in math, was manager of the soccer team and was a member of Beta Theta Pi. After graduation he joined Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Co. in Washington, D.C., where he worked until 1973 and where he met and married Marie McIntosh, who presented him with daughter Karen in 1970. He later joined Foster Associates as an economic consultant.

In the early 1990s, Chuck and Marie moved to the Pioneer Valley, where he became business manager of the Bement School in Deerfield, Mass. He chaired reunions 45 and 50, both with distinction.

Dave Wray ’52 recalls that Chuck was an avid bridge player in college, where he once threw his glasses against the wall, thinking Dave had bid terribly. When Dave made the bid—six clubs—Chuck settled down and returned to the game. (Don’t know if he recovered his glasses.) Fred Marston ’52 noted that it was fun to see Chuck at our 60th. He was a part of the solid middle class core that will always redeem the Republic established by the likes of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Chris Boyle ’52 writes that Chuck was always well turned out, perfectly groomed and always in serious good spirits. He loved to argue but never shouted or had his mind changed. Although Beta was a singing house, Chuck was limited to humming “Night and Day” before being “banned” into other activities.

Chuck was a devout Anglican and in later years became very active in the Catholic Church, while volunteering for such organizations as SCORE, hospice and visiting shut-ins, among others.

He is survived by his wife, Marie; daughter Karen ’92 and her husband, Peter Giorgio ’92; and two grandchildren, Andrew and Jessica.

Tim Westbay ’52