Obituary of William Richard Beamish

And then there were three… After a life well lived, our Dad has moved on to join our loving Mom, Shirley, his wife of 42 years, and our dear brother, Garth. With his remaining children at his side, Dick passed away on Sunday, July 9th, 2017 at the age of 92. He was the devoted father of Maureen Dragasevich (John), Heather Vitali (Greg), and Grant Beamish; and wonderful grandfather to Erin Coates (Andrew), Mark and Shannon Dragasevich, Ashley and Sarah Vitali, and Leah and Chloe Beamish. He will also be dearly missed by Joan Lamoureux, and his special friend and world travelling companion, Joyce Gilliard. Dick was a Professional Engineer who enjoyed a long career with Northern Electric/Northern Telecom in Montreal and London before transitioning to the automotive sector with Fleck Manufacturing in Huron Park. He was an eternal tinkerer, inventor and do-it-yourselfer who always looked for ways to help – at St. Aidan’s Anglican Church, where he was a devoted member of the parish for over 50 years, at his grandchildren’s schools, and for his friends and family. Dad inspired us all with his endless optimism, entertained us with his storytelling and sense of humour, and serenaded us with his guitar. He also documented his life and ours so beautifully through his love of photography. He was a life long learner on many topics – even switching from a PC to a Mac in his mid-80s. But he derived his greatest joy from children. A thoughtful soul with a generous spirit is forever in our memories, having left his mark in so many ways. Friends may call at WESTVIEW FUNERAL CHAPEL, 709 Wonderland Road North on Monday, July 24th from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. The funeral service will be held at ST. AIDAN’S ANGLICAN CHURCH, 1246 Oxford Street West, on Tuesday, July 25th at 11:00 a.m. Having lost our mother and brother to cancer, donations to the Gene Goodreau Patient Assistance Fund at London Health Sciences Foundation would be greatly appreciated in lieu of flowers. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Dick’s neighbours of many years on Queen Anne Circle, his family at St. Aidan’s, and to the staffs of Chartwell Riverside and Highview Residences for their kindness, care and love.