Obituary: Richard S. Beebe Sr.

Richard S. Beebe Sr., 89, of Estero, Florida, passed away peacefully on Dec. 30, 2024, at the Life Care Center of Estero. He was born in New York City on Sept. 10, 1935, and moved to Moss Point, Mississippi, in 1937. In 1948, Richard and his family moved to Mount Dora, Florida.

Richard married Elaine Huggins, on March 11, 1961, and together they spent 63 years and 10 months. Richard and Elaine’s life journey took them to Melbourne, then to Windermere, where they settled in 1961 on Lake Bessie. Richard and Elaine later moved to Maitland in 1994 and made their final moves to Coconut Creek in 2013 and Estero in 2024.

In his personal life, Richard was passionate about the outdoors and loved spending time on the water. He was an avid boater and sailor, even teaching sailing classes, and enjoying leisurely “putt-putts” around Lake Bessie with a drink in hand. Saturdays were reserved for tennis, and Thursday evenings found him on the court once again. He was also an enthusiastic camper who cherished nature, and his love for the Florida Gators was undeniable.

He was a proud Eagle Scout and longtime member of the Windermere Rotary Club, as well as the Gator Booster Club, where he actively supported his beloved Florida Gators.

Richard is survived by his wife, Elaine; daughter, Deborah (Ken) Butalewicz of Boca Raton, Florida; sons, Kenneth (Gary) Beebe of Tallahassee, Florida, and Rick (Karen) Beebe of Naples, Florida; grandchildren, Shannon (Tom), Matthew (Dena), Andrew (Maddie), Jackson and Carter; and great-grandchildren, Thomas, Avery and Griffin.

A private family memorial service will be celebrated on Feb. 1, 2025.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Support Network, 1421 Pine Ridge Road, Suite 100, Naples, FL 34109 https://support.network/donate/.