AUGUSTA – John David Beeckel, 64, died peacefully in his sleep on Monday, Feb. 21, 2022 in Augusta, after many years of chronic illness. He was born April 30, 1957 in Augusta to John Niles Beeckel and Cynthia Erlene Anderson Beeckel. John was known for his enthusiasm for life and the outdoors.

After graduating from Cony High School in 1975, he attended the Wilma Boyd Career School, graduating at the top of his class, and immediately started working for Amtrak in Chicago. Later he moved to Bloomington where he worked for the next 18 years until moving back to Augusta in 1993. Maine is where his heart was.

He was an avid outdoorsman and expert in hunting and fishing. While in Illinois he also developed expertise in archery and every year bagged his limit for deer and shared his bounty, including fish, with all his neighbors, particularly the elderly with whom he had a warm and affectionate, reciprocal relationship. He loved nothing more than helping others, sharing and bringing happiness to those around him at that stage of his life.

He also was expert at gardening, which was another joy of his and always grew the best gardens, shared with all, and continued this in Maine until an accident in 2002 which left him with chronic pain, which made all aspects of life very difficult. An extremely hard worker, he always worked an extra job or two while working full time for Amtrack. After returning to Maine he attended CMVTI in 1996/’97 and again graduated at the top of his class, subsequently working for Fairchild Semiconductor until becoming disabled. His precision and attention to detail were highly valued, especially in his work calibrating all the equipment at Fairchild and doing their QA on microchips, using an electron microscope.

John loved all things dealing with science, the outdoors, weather, biology, astronomy, agriculture and had a quasi-photographic memory and an inquisitive mind which embraced all he could get his hands on. He loved to share, and wore out more than one pair of ears doing so.

John also loved studying animal and fish behavior which allowed him to succeed when often no one else was having luck hunting or fishing. He shared this with his children, family and anyone interested.

In 1995 he married Tamara Baily Nusbaum and together they had two children and he helped as well to raise Tammy’s children from a prior marriage. They all shared a love for the outdoors, experienced many adventures together, an annual time share in Jackman, and created many memories. Sadly the accident changed much in the family dynamics, though we will be forever grateful for the many positive memories.

He was predeceased by his father in 1967, whom he missed all his life, and his mother in 2015. He is survived by his wife, Tamara in Augusta; his stepson, Joseph (Angela) Nusbaum in Utah, stepdaughter, Tawnya Nusbaum in Arizona, daughter, Sariah in Utah, son, Nephi of Augusta; siblings Bobbie Ann (Doug) Tyndall in Utah, Peter (Caron) in Turner, Tom (Lisa) in Augusta, Linda (Nick) Nichols in Florida, Kurt in Augusta, Kathy Beeckel in Utah; grandchildren Alaina, Zachary, Emily and Kaitlynn Nusbaum; Nathan and Dillan Kandalaft; and many nieces, nephews; and grand nieces and nephews; and lastly, Susie, his beloved, purr-fect companion of 15 years.

We love you and are grateful for your release from pain, John “Bub”, and will miss you, and look forward to the reunion with you and Dad and Mom as we transition back to eternity one day. John was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and valued his many friendships with fellow members. A celebration of his life will be held on March 26 at 11 a.m. at the Farmingdale Chapel on 6 Hasson St., Farmingdale.

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