George Reed Beecher Jr.

George Beecher, loving son, brother, uncle, great-uncle, neighbor, and friend passed away in the early evening hours of Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Milford, Connecticut. Born September 24, 1941 in Syracuse, New York, he moved to Milford as a toddler, in 1943, with his devoted parents, George R. Beecher, Sr., and Margaret Gatz Beecher.

Diapered by flashlight during upstate blackout curfews after Pearl Harbor, George and his family were very closely knit. His aunts, Alice Gatz Huber and Lucille Gatz Sushereba, forged lifelong bonds with their new nephew as their husbands went off to war; and his mother’s cousin, Carl Weissenberger, of Toledo, Ohio, made cherished visits East throughout his youth. From an early age, George was enchanted by the circus – fittingly made in nearby Bridgeport, by P.T. Barnum. Along with his adored younger sister, Mary, George put on countless play circuses in the family’s backyard in Milford, to the delight of neighborhood friends and playmates. His lanky, long-legged looks and toothy smile were irresistibly adorable! Around the age of eight, George was captured on the covers of agricultural publications advertising corn, watermelon, tomatoes, and other crops, in conjunction with his father’s lifelong work in the seed industry.

His education included grade school at Milford Grammar School and high school at Milford Preparatory School. After graduation in 1959, George was called to the seminary and studied for five years, at St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield, Connecticut; Resurrection College in Kitchener, Ontario; and finally at St. Bonaventure University, in upstate New York.

Though he never enjoyed a circus that could top the presence of his God, George adored the circus and the carnival. To the circus he went after deciding to forego a career in the priesthood, first working for Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey. George loved working the electrical components for each and every show and played venues including Madison Square Garden, the Cobo Center, and so many points beyond out West. From Ringling Brothers, George went on to work at Clyde Beatty Circus, throughout the early 1970s. At the American bicentennial, he toured the United States once again, this time working for the 1976 Freedom Train, which made a stop along the route in Milford.

The final phase of George’s career was in the outdoor entertainment industry, where he worked for forty years. The transition to carnivals was natural and was made worthwhile by continually seeing wonderful friends from the circus days in Florida. His home away from home became James E. Strates Shows, now based in Deland, Florida. George traveled with the Strates carnival train up and down the Eastern seaboard. Some favorite venues along the way included Hamburg, New York; Essex Junction, Vermont, and Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

After retirement, he maintained friendships with his Strates Shows work family, including his very special friendship with Paul and Lynn Meyers, and he was able to make it to Hamburg and Essex Junction in summer 2023. During this retirement transition phase, George finally had the time to fully build relationships in Milford. Numerous members of the Milford community considered George to be a wonderful friend. During retirement, he also found the time to enjoy the sweet spot of later years – at church sock hops, community dinners, and at local bakeries. It is stunning to witness the spontaneous reactions from so many friends and neighbors who knew and valued George as a fixture in each walk of life in Milford, including at his favorite diner, the Bridgeport Flyer; at his community hub, the Mary Taylor Methodist Church; and at his home parish, St. Mary’s/Precious Blood Church. His affection for and commitment to the Milford South-of-the-Green historical district was felt by anyone who passed George on his daily beat, by foot or by bike.

George was predeceased by his parents, aunts and uncles, and cousin Shirley Toomey. He leaves his loving family and friends, near and far. He is survived by his sister, Mary Beecher Hodgens and her husband, Tim (Westborough, MA); niece Cristin and her husband, Kurt Christensen (Westborough, MA); nephew Matthew and his wife, Lindsey (Medway, MA); nephew Andrew and his wife, Andrea (Medfield, MA); and by great-nephew and great-nieces Emmett, Anna, Grace, Emma, Madelyn, and Ava. George leaves three cousins: Carol Porter (Penfield, NY); Bill Sushereba (Constantia, NY); and Kathy Beaty (Mentor, OH). He also leaves countless friends in Milford and throughout the circus and carnival worlds. The family would like to thank Don Seipal, DeDe Zhao, and Jeanne Campagna for their remarkable years of friendship and support.

A ringmaster’s hat off to George for a life humbly and selflessly lived. We love you, George, and we shall miss you very much.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Friday, August 23, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church/Precious Blood Parish, 70 Gulf Street, Milford, Connecticut. Prior to the funeral mass, relatives, friends, and community members are invited to calling hours in the St. Mary’s church sanctuary, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Interment will take place immediately after the Mass at St. Mary’s Cemetery, 315 Buckingham Avenue, Milford, CT. Following interment, a reception will take place, beginning at 1:00 p.m., at Mary Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church, Dodd Hall, 168-176 S Broad Street, Milford, CT.

Should friends so desire, donations may be made in George’s memory to St. Mary’s Church/Precious Blood Parish, 70 Gulf Street, Milford, CT 06460 or to Mary Taylor United Methodist Church, 168-176 S Broad Street, Milford, CT. 06460.

Arrangements are made under the direction and care of the Cody-White Funeral Home, 107 Broad Street, Milford, CT, and messages for George’s family may be expressed by visiting https://www.codywhitefuneralservice.com/tributes