Ray W. Beecher

Ray Welling Beecher, 72, died (with his boots off) May 20, 2009, from complications following surgery.

Ray was born in Brigham City, Utah, near the end of the Great Depression, on March 1, 1937. This time and place had a lasting effect on his values and character. He may have laughed and joked about the "Code of the West," but he never stopped trying to live up to it.

Ray was the eldest of two sons of Searl William Beecher and Afton Welling Beecher.

He graduated from Box Elder High School and continued his studies at the University of Utah and Weber State.

Ray married RoseAnn Jensen Pittman in 1959 and had two sons, Curtis and Chris. They later divorced, but their concern and affection for the welfare of these two sons lives on.

After a full and triumphant career, he retired to the place he loved, Swan Valley, Idaho. Throughout his time on Earth, he made many lifelong friends and was a great example of a kind and giving soul, always trying to help others. It was not uncommon for him to pick up a hitchhiker and take them completely to their destination, usually out of his way, or take them to a restaurant and then to the bus station or airport, ensuring the rest of their journey. There was never a need to repay, never, "you owe." People's lives were quietly touched. Never boasting, seldom telling of events taken place. He knew. Dad would say, "It was a good month or it was a bad month." Those who knew him knew what that meant.

He is survived by his sons, Curt (Patti) Pittman and Chris (Heidi) Pittman; four grandchildren, Brady, Ryan, Megan and Ariel; his brother, Kent (Linda) Beecher; one niece; and five nephews.

Typical of Ray, he requested that his body be donated to medical research in the hope that someone else might benefit by the physical things he will no longer need (he often expressed a light-hearted curiosity as to where the various parts might end up), and as he would say, "Off on another adventure!" For this reason and at his request, there will be no formal funeral service. His remains will be buried in the Willard, Utah, cemetery.

Friends who wish to honor Ray are invited to send copies of photos or stories of personal memories of Ray to Curtis Pittman, 637 N. 500 East, Brigham City, UT 84302, to be included with a book of remembrance.

He will live on "as long as his name is remembered around the campfire."