Jerrold Charles Beech was welcomed into the world on May 8, 1947, by parents Norman and Donalda (Thomas) Beech. When Donalda was pregnant with Jerrold, the doctor told them to go to Walkerton, and as they were driving to the hospital, the motor blew. Someone thankfully came and picked them up, and they made it to the hospital in time. That is maybe where Jerrold got his trait for picking people up! He was the proud oldest brother of Jim, Brian, and Murray. The Beech family lived on a mixed farm at the corner of the 4th and County Road 3. While he was younger, Jerrold and his brothers played hockey anywhere they could—on the pond or at the arena—playing for Ebenezer’s Beavers. When he was a child, Jerrold developed his passion for the outdoors from his father.

Jerrold attended SS#7 & 8 Elderslie & Saugeen (later changed to 3 & 8), and then attended Saugeen District High School. He later went on to attend the University of Guelph for two years. In between school years, Jerrold worked for Wark’s picking up cream, and also worked for Segram’s Construction. After getting his diploma, Jerrold continued working for Segram’s in Kitchener until he got his job with the Ministry of Agriculture, working for the Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA). He worked there until he was 55, when he retired due to his Parkinson’s diagnosis.

While he was younger, Jerrold was a member of 4-H. One of the people he met through 4-H was Susan Ann Peacock. They were reintroduced when Jerrold was visiting Susan’s father to test milk. Their connection sparked, and they dated for a year before getting married on July 17, 1971, at the Wesley United Church. As newlyweds, they bought a beef farm on County Road 3 past the Saugeen Bluffs road.

In 1973, they welcomed their first daughter, Lynn. Shortly after, Karen was born in 1974, and Bobbi made the family complete in 1976. After Bobbi was born, Jerrold had put a birth announcement in the Paisley newspaper, and it read: “Due to the inventory of our present stock, we are temporarily halting production.” Quite the way to announce his daughter’s birth! Jerrold always joked that he had a perfect family—even though he had three girls and no boys! As a young family, they enjoyed spending time together. In 1981, Jerrold and Susan purchased their cottage on the Bruce Peninsula on Britain Lake. They went to the cottage almost every weekend—swimming, fishing, and just being on the water. In 1984, they sold the farm and bought their house in Paisley.

Jerrold’s biggest passion—almost an obsession—was hunting and fishing. He hunted everything from deer, moose, rabbit, and turkeys, with every style of hunting: rifle, bow, black powder, and even his car! One day, while coming home from a haircut, Jerrold hit a turkey with Susan’s new van. He threw it in the back of the van, thinking it was dead—but it turns out it was still alive. When he realized, he drove the rest of the way home holding the turkey by its neck, and a family friend ended up having turkey for supper that night!

Jerrold was a member of the “Half Hour Club” hunt club, with their hunt camp on Johnson’s Harbour. The name “Half Hour Club” was given by the spouses of these men, as they told their wives the meeting to pick a name and sort out details for hunt week would only take a half hour. After a few hours and a few drinks later, the name was given!

Jerrold also made any excuse to be outside and on the water fishing. One time, he wanted to go fishing and took Susan with him. He told her he had everything ready, and they dragged the boat to Lion’s Head. When they went to put the boat in the water, they soon realized there was no plug in the boat—and the boat started sinking. Once they got out on the water, Jerrold handed Susan a fishing pole. Literally, just the pole. No fishing line, nothing on it but the pole. As they continued on, the motor broke. One other thing to note is that Susan was not a big fan of the water. They used paddles to bring themselves back to shore, and Susan was thankful to be back on land!

Jerrold was a Legion member with the Paisley Legion for many years. Jerrold and Susan were also members of the Bruce County Trappers & Crappers, a type of primitive camping group. They also liked to travel—going to Greece, Spain, Portugal, and more. Maybe unknown to some, Jerrold was an author. He wrote five short story books that were mostly true. They started off true, and then by the end, the truth was stretched a little. Jerrold wrote about his kids, his brothers and himself growing up, and more. He also had a weekly article in the Paisley newspaper called “Tales of Lonefeather.” Jerrold enjoyed watching hunting, outback, and history shows, and also Red Skelton. He liked listening to country gospel music. Jerrold liked all food and loved his coffee breaks—for both the coffee and the socializing. Speaking of socializing, he had the gift of the gab. He could talk to anyone and make friends wherever he went.

Jerrold absolutely adored his family. He cherished every moment with Susan and was so proud of his girls. Jerrold’s love grew with the arrival of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He often would just sit while the kids played around him, but he also enjoyed doing activities with them that interested him—such as fishing and kayaking. There was one instance when Jerrold made peanut brittle with the kids, and it did not quite go as planned, ending with the spatula stuck to the bottom of the pan.

In 2000, Jerrold was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. He never let his diagnosis slow him down. Jerrold proudly wore a shirt that read: “I have Parkinson’s but I’m trying to shake it”, and he finally beat it. He was a proud advocate for people with Parkinson’s, and he wanted to help as many people with the same diagnosis as he could. About a year ago, his Parkinson’s started to hit him harder, and he was moved to a nursing home. Jerrold’s health continued to decline, and he passed away at South Bruce Grey Health Centre, Kincardine, on Monday, October 20, 2025, in his 79th year.

Devoted husband of Susan (Peacock). Loving father of Lynn Courtney (Peter Jansen) of Rockford, Karen (Don) McCullough of Paisley, and Bobbi (Harold) Robinson of Eden. Cherished grandfather of Alexis, Emily, Collin, Seth, Tyson, and Hunter, and great-grandfather of Amelia, Adrian, Rose-Lynn, and Evelyn. Dear brother of Jim (Arlene), Brian (Edith), and Murray, and brother-in-law of Sandy (Ray) Moffat, Wendy (Terry) Cormack, and Jim Peacock. Jerrold will be missed by many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Predeceased by his parents, Norman and Donalda (Thomas) Beech.

A celebration of Jerrold’s life will be held at Paisley Community Centre on Sunday, October 26, 2025, from 2–5 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Parkinson Society Southwestern Ontario or to the Paisley Firefighters Association would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.