Laconia-----Donald “Don” Francis Beane, 88, of 28 Clairmont Street, died at home surrounded by his loving family on Thursday evening, December 24, 2015. He was the widower of Eva (Frohock) Beane who died in 2008.
Don was born May 17, 1927 in Laconia the son of Dana “Ace” S. Beane Sr. and Anna May (Durant) Beane. Don was a lifelong resident of Laconia and graduated from Laconia High School in 1945 where he lettered in football, basketball, baseball and track, and, in his later years, enjoyed playing tennis because he was a “lefty”.
Don served in the U.S. Naval Air Corps during World War II leaving LHS in February of his senior year. Returning to Laconia at the end of the war he attended Tilton Prep and graduated from The New England Institute of Anatomy, Sanitary Science, Embalming and Funeral Directing of Boston in 1948. After graduating from NEI he returned to Laconia and joined his father “Ace” and his brother Roger at the Wilkinson Funeral Home in downtown Laconia. In 1966 the firm became Wilkinson-Beane Funeral Home and Don served as treasurer of the firm for the following forty years.
Don was a seventy two year member of the Laconia Congregational Church, at the time of his death he was the most senior member of the Church. He also served as a church trustee for many years. He was a charter member of the American Red Cross and was a past President and former Secretary and a sixty seven year member of the Laconia Rotary Club and was honored by the Paul Harris Fellow. He was also an over sixty five year member of the Mt. Lebanon Lodge No. 32 F&AM and also a seventy year member of the Wilkins-Smith Post No. 1 American Legion. Don was a trustee of the Laconia Savings Bank for twenty five years; he was also very active with the NH Humane Society, Lakes Region United Way and was a former park commissioner. He was a very active member in the Lakes Region YMCA and he was awarded the Lakes Region YMCA “Man of the Year” award. He was a member of the New Hampshire and National Funeral Directors Association and the National Selected Morticians.
Above all Don loved his family and enjoyed watching his family play sports, playing the piano and most of all watching them enjoy the camp on Long Island in Moultonboro for the past sixty years.
Survivors include three sons and daughters-in-law, Dr. Dana F and Fereshteh Beane of Germantown Maryland , Russell J. and Carol Ann Beane of Laconia and Gary D. and Adriana Beane of Scarsdale, New York; eight grandchildren, Craig, Chad, Curtis, Dyan, Brent, Adriano, Stefano and Isabella; eight great grandchildren, Cody, Lucas, Kathryn, Robbie , Cory, Rissy, Addison and Delaney Eva and six nephews and one niece. In addition to his parents and his stepmother, Marie (Gingras) Beane, Don was predeceased by his brothers Roger H. Beane and Dana S. Beane, Jr.
Calling hours will be held on Wednesday, December 30, 2015 from 4:00pm-6:00pm in the Carriage House of the Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia NH.
A Funeral Service, officiated by Rev. Dr. Warren Bouton, Pastor of the Church, and Rev. Gary Kosmowski, Pastor of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Parish, Hampton NH will be held on Thursday, December 31, 2015 at 11:00am at the Laconia Congregational Church, 69 Pleasant Street, Laconia NH.
Burial will follow in the family lot in Union Cemetery, Laconia NH.
Memorial donations may be made to Laconia Congregational Church Building Fund, 18 Veterans Square, Laconia NH 03246.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia NH is assisting the family with the arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial go to www.wilkinsonbeane.com.