Mary Beckham

Mary M. (Demuth) Beckham, 84, of Vestal, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her husband and sons Tuesday September 1, 2015. Mary was born on July 2, 1931 in Nimmonsburg, NY to German Ellis Island immigrants Richard and Martha DeMuth. Mary was the first American born child of their family. She was born into the Great Depression with her sister Frieda (DeMuth) Lona (1922-2001); brother George Demuth (1925-1997); brother, Richard Jr., who died in 1934; brother, Richard F. Demuth, survives her in the State of Washington. As a high-school student in Windsor, NY, Mary excelled at basketball, softball and intramural soccer. The love of sports she passes onto her children. As a bright young woman in the late 1940s and early Fifties, Mary worked for the Endicott Johnson Shoe Company doing piece-work in the BB factory. She played for the Endicott Johnson Athletic Association, competing with other squads of softball and basketball EJ sponsored teams, and received a stipend for her team’s placement in leagues. She loved dancing, singing harmony with her girlfriends, playing the organ, movie musicals and all varieties of music. She also worked at Stars Department Store on the Vestal Parkway, where she met some of her closest and dearest lifelong friends Shirley and Eveyln. She met the love of her life in February 1954 (when he trapped her in a phone booth at the Pine Inn while she was out on a dance night, and said he wouldn’t let her out unless she gave him her number. She said he was so handsome that she couldn’t refuse, but played hard to get for a few weeks to make sure he was okay), they married in October 1954 and raised two sons, Terry Beckham and Josh Beckham. She was a talented seamstress and loved to sew. She created dance costumes, halloween costumes, quilts, cross-stitch art and doll-clothes for her grandchildren. She enjoyed watching, and never missed her sons sporting events. She often took the boys to afternoon Triplet baseball games at Johnson field in the 60’s, and to the V Drive-In for a weekend movie. She was an avid baseball fan all of her life, and the TV was always tuned to Yankee baseball. She loved life and loved to travel with her husband (especially to Hawaii and Germany) to visit family and friends. She was a devoted and loving wife. A compassionate, caring and loving mother, aunt, great-aunt, grandmother, great- grandmother, and a loyal, genuine, caring and fun soul to her friends and acquaintances. After a long, arduous and brave battle, she passed from us to find peace. She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Josh Beckham, Jr of Vestal, NY formally of Shirley, Arkansas; son Terry (Francesca), son Josh, six grandchildren Derek (Kristi), Erika, Alaina, Nate, Janise, Josephine; one great-grandchild Blaise; her god-daughter Christine (Mark) Smolinsky as well as her many “favorite” nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews who all lovingly called her “Aunt Babe”. We will all miss her smile, touch, laugh, advice, hugs, cards, recipes, hope, courage, loyalty, and most of all, her love. She lived a full and rewarding life on many levels, never suffered self-pity and fearlessly endured a great challenge without batting an eye. She was soft in so many ways, but strong in so many more. We wish you all could have known her. Funeral Services held Saturday at 10 am from the Allen Memorial Home, 511-513 East Main Street, Endicott, with the Reverend r Mark Kimpland, Pastor of Endwell United Methodist Church officiating. Burial will be in Vestal Park Cemetery, Vestal. The family will receive friends at the Allen Memorial Home Friday from 4-6 pm. Although Mary loved flowers, she loved people more, and we think her wish would be in lieu of flowers to make a contribution to Lourdes Hospice 4102 Old Vestal Road, Vestal, NY 13850.