Southwest Harbor, ME – Harold R. Beal, 94, passed away peacefully April 10, 2020 after a courageous battle with pneumonia. He was born October 27, 1925, in Manset, the second son born to Harvard R. Beal and Elva (Spurling) Beal.
In 1942, when Harold was only seventeen years old, he enlisted into the US Navy. He served for four years and was part of the troops that stormed the beaches of Normandy. After he left the Navy in 1946, he married his first wife, Marion R. Pierce. He and Marion had two daughters, Mary Ann (Beal) Dow, and Clare (Beal) Brown.
Harold held many jobs in his lifetime such a truck driving, driving the local school bus, driving buses for Greyhound and the like. He has volunteered a lot of his time at the Cole Museum in Bangor. He really enjoyed opening up and sharing his WWII stories to local children and said that it helped him tremendously dealing with PTSD. He was so proud and always had a smile on his face while waving to people from the steps of the school bus during local parades. He was quite the celebrity! Harold was a member of the Pemetic High School Alumni Association and devoted many hours to make sure the “Pow Wow” was perfect.
Harold was a serious fan of the Red Sox and was very excited to see them finally “Reverse the Curse.” He and Marcia really enjoyed much of their later years watching reruns of “The Andy Griffith Show”, and “The Lawrence Welk Show”. They could usually be found grabbing a meal at Governors or Helen’s and the staff of both grew to love them very much.
He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Marcia (Farley) Beal; daughter, Mary Ann (Beal) Dow; 4 step sons, Wayne Reed, Lawrence Reed, Karl Reed and Paul Reed; grandchildren, Christopher, Tracy, Scott, Sheryl; great-grandchildren, Christina, Victoria, Brittany, Nicholas, Bryon, Tyler, Jenna and Emma-Clare; great-great grandchildren, Wes and Sophia; sister-in-law, Joanne (Macleod) Beal and many nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his parents; his siblings, Nettie (Beal) Vine; Vera (Beal) Rich; Elmer L. Beal, Douglas E. Beal, and Beatrice (Beal) Stork; his daughter Clare (Beal) Brown and his grandson, Curt E. Woodward.
Service for Harold will be held at a date and time to be announced. Those wishing to remember Harold in a special way may make gifts in his memory to the Pemetic High School Alumni Scholarship Fund, c/o Sharon Larson, P O Box 590, Southwest Harbor 04679 or the Cole Museum, 405 Perry Road, Bangor 04401
Arrangements by Acadia Burial & Cremation Direct, 248 State St. Ellsworth
Condolences may be expressed at www.acadiacremation.com
5 Condolences
We are so sorry to hear about Harold’s passing. We will be praying for Marcia, Mary Ann and all the family.
My prayers to the family and Harold will be miss by so many. It won’t be the same coming home and not see him at the cafe.
RIP Harold, you will be truly missed. My thoughts and Prayers are with the family.
I was honored to know and volunteer with Harold at the Cole Museum. He was a wonderful man with great good humor who was loved by many and will be sadly missed by those of us who knew him.
Lost Harbor
by Leslie Nelson Jennings
There is a port of no return, where ships
May ride at anchor for a little space
And then, some starless night, the cable slips,
Leaving an eddy at the mooring place . . .
Gulls, veer no longer. Sailor, rest your oar.
No tangled wreckage will be washed ashore.
Rest your oar, Harold!
Both my wife and I knew Harold and are really sadden to hear of his passing. Our condolences to the family and they are in our prayers.
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