Harold Beebe

Portland-Harold H. Beebe, Jr., known to most as “Hank”, passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of February 5, 2023. The final weeks of his 96 years were spent at home in Portland, Maine, surrounded and being cared for by his loving family. Hank was born on July 16, 1926, in Woodbury, New Jersey, to Harold Henry and Miriam Priscilla (née Davidson) Beebe. As a young man, Hank served in the U.S. Navy, then received his B.A. in English and Masters in Musical Composition from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After college, he met and fell instantly in love with Nancy. Hank loved to tell the story of how he and Nancy had both reluctantly attended a party with their families, where they had met and spent the entire day talking, and that they had to get married to finish the conversation. Hank, along with Nancy lived and worked first in Philadelphia at the Westtown School, then in New York for several decades where they raised two daughters. During this time he wrote countless musicals including one of his most popular, “The Cowboy and the Tiger”, which ran in New York for two years and was produced for television in 1963. Thanks to the 2018 documentary “Bathtubs Over Broadway”, the world has been blessed to discover Hank’s legendary industrial shows produced during this time, including “Diesel Dazzle” and “Got to Investigate Silicones”. These shows, and countless others, were played to very limited and specific audiences of industry sales professionals and remained relatively unknown to the general public for decades. Steve Young and Dava Whisenant, through their film, gave a new life and exposure to this part of his career, and Hank was surprised and delighted that this part of his career became not only known, but appreciated and loved by many. Hank was a prolific writer and composer. In seven decades, he produced countless shows, scores, and songs, including an enormous library of choral music that has been played in churches, theaters, living rooms, and schools around the world. Nobody is sure exactly how many pieces Hank wrote throughout his lifetime, and even Hank himself was unable to ever determine an exact number or even an accurate ballpark estimate. In the 1980’s, after moving to Maine and promptly flunking retirement, Hank and Nancy opened and revitalized numerous local theaters, including Biddeford City Theater, the State Theater, Schoolhouse Arts Center, and ACTS. Their theater company, Embassy Players, produced 30 of Hank’s original musicals. Community theater in the truest sense, these productions featured non-traditional casts, often including both professional and first-time actors, and were open and welcoming to anyone and everyone in the community who dreamed of finding their “place in the light”. Hank and Nancy welcomed people into their Portland home throughout the years, both to visit and live, and hosted weekly community gatherings where people ate, prayed, laughed and sang together. Hank was a deeply devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He loved living with his large extended family and many chosen family members throughout the years. He shared an exquisite love story with his dear wonderful wife of 71 years, Nancy. He was a friend, a mentor, a colleague, and an inspiration to many, in the world of musical theater and far beyond. He loved being busy, continuing to write and work and inspire even in the last months of his life. During the COVID-19 pandemic, at the age of 93 he found a new avenue of expression through his weekly “Comfort in Hard Times” emails, which he penned to “fellow stay-at-homes”, and which contained musical selections and musings about life. He indeed brought comfort to many, often spending hours of his day corresponding individually with friends from around the world. Hank represented the best of humanity in so many ways. He lived his faith in a real, tangible way that made people feel valued and seen. His final days were spent as he lived his life, surrounded by love, and expressing his gratitude. As one might expect, at 96 years old, Hank had an ensemble of friends and family awaiting his arrival at the pearly gates, including his parents, Harold H. Beebe Sr. and Miriam Priscilla Beebe, his brother, Blair Beebe, his sister, Ann Davis, his son-in-law, Peter Beebe-Lawson, his writing partner, Bill Heyer, and countless others. His absence at home is felt deeply by the four generations who live at the Embassy - his wife, Nancy Beebe, his daughters, Selby Beebe-Lawson, and Linda Ford, and his grandchildren, John Vail, David Vail, Christa and her husband Truong Vo, chosen family-member-grandchild, Delaney Bucker, and four great grandchildren, Jolene, Loretta, Lucinda and Vivienne Vo. He is also missed dearly by his Massachusetts-based family contingent, daughter, Jane Finley and her husband Andy Finley, and grandchildren, Anne and her husband Andrew Uhmeyer, Elaine Bertolini and her husband Stefan Schwartz, and many other family members around the world. Hank’s presence was a bright light in this world, and his absence is felt and mourned by many. Please join us at St. Luke’s Cathedral, State Street, Portland, Maine or online via St. Luke's youtube(StLukesPortland.org/worship-with-us) channel for a sing-along memorial service on Saturday, February 18, 2023 at 11am. Arrangements are under the direction of the Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Home, 172 State Street, Portland, ME, parking is available at the funeral home the day of the service. To view Hank’s memorial page, or to share an online condolence, please visit www.ConroyTullyWalker.com In lieu of flowers, which would have made Hank sneeze, donations may be made to St. Elizabeth’s Jubilee Center, https://stelizabethsmaine.org/