BEACH, Rose Mary (Randall) 1921-2016

BEACH, RANDALL, MCDONALD, MACDONALD

Posted By: K. L. Kittleson
Date: 5/13/2019 at 13:47:02

Rose Mary (Randall) Beach, 94

CAPE ELIZABETH - Comforted by family and friends, Rose Mary Randall Beach died Oct. 24, 2016, in her residence at Village Crossings, in Cape Elizabeth.

Rose Mary was born on Dec. 11, 1921, in Waterloo, Iowa.

Her parents, Charles Warren Milton Randall II ("Charlie") and Rose Ellen MacDonald Randall ("Rose"), raised Rose Mary, her sister Lillian, and her brother Sonny in their warm 210 Rosebud Avenue home, where schoolmates frequently gathered. For decades, it remained home for Rose Mary, her mother living there until her death in 1961 and her father until he moved to Delaware in 1972.

Sadly and devastatingly for all, her beloved brother Sonny was killed in Germany on Nov. 20, 1944, while serving in the U.S. Army. Blessedly and in contrast, Rose Mary and her sister Lillian Randall Rourke, now of Wayland, Mass., and formerly of Baltimore, Md., enjoyed a loving relationship for over 93 years.

Rose Mary lived with an optimistic but sharp-eyed view of the world. She loved learning, excelled in all subjects and graduated first in her class at every level: from West Waterloo High School in 1939, from the University of Iowa in 1943 with a B.A. in journalism, and from Drexel University in 1971 with an M.S. in library science.

She was hired by George Gallup in Princeton, N.J., right out of college, but quickly moved onto the Associated Press in Manhattan, where she wrote radio script that was broadcast across the country during the final months of World War II and for two years thereafter. She later taught English, typing and shorthand at Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vt., and at Goldey-Beacom College in Wilmington, Del. In her 50s and 60s, she was the librarian for Goldey-Beacom.

Rose Mary married Thomas C. Beach Jr., in May 1945. Over the years, they lived in New York, Vermont, Delaware, and Penn-sylvania. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1978.

Rose Mary was a loving and caring mother to their three sons: Charles Randall Beach (Randy), now of Waldoboro; Thomas Christopher Coffing Beach (Chris), of South Portland; and Murray MacDonald Beach of Westwood, Mass. She also long ago "adopted" Jill and Jeb Haslam, the adult children of her deceased best friend, Joan Haslam.

Rose Mary was devoted to all in her family, and was known for her letters and cards, marked by a generous spirit and wonderful descriptions of places traveled. The journalist in her never died.

She loved dogs, greeting all she met and owning several over her lifetime, including Rags, "Nanny-Pooh-Pooh," McKenzie, and, most recently Sammy. She also loved gardening, reading, staying current with the news, traveling, visiting family and friends, watching movies, listening to music and singing. At Village Crossings, she often was heard singing popular show tunes.

Rose Mary was a devoted Episcopalian. For half a century, she attended and contributed in many ways to St. James Church in Stanton, Del. More recently, she attended St. Albans Church in Cape Elizabeth.

While greatly missing Rose Mary, we are consoled by her long and rich life. She is survived by her sister Lillian, her three sons and their spouses/partners (Randy Beach and Lynne Coolidge, Chris and Kathy Beach, and Murray Beach and Pat Palocz), seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Rose Mary's family wants to extend a special thanks to the staff of Village Crossings, where she lived for the last 13 years. We cannot imagine a more attentive, helpful group of individuals than those who took care of her so well.

A celebration of Rose Mary's life will be held at St. Albans Episcopal Church, 885 Shore Rd., in Cape Elizabeth, Sunday, Oct. 30, at 1 p.m. There also will be an in-house celebration at Village Crossings for family, residents and staff, at a date to be determined. Her ashes will be buried at the Randall family plot in Waterloo, Iowa, next to her mother, father and Sonny. To share a memory or condolence with the family, please visit: www.coastalcremationservices.com

SOURCE: www.pressherald.com

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NOTE: A memorial marker for her is placed in Waterloo Memorial Park Cemetery, Waterloo, IA. See Iowa GPP
( iowagravestones.org ) for a photo of the marker.