George Clifford Beesley Jr.

The Light in East Orange, New Jersey became brighter on January 29, 1928 with the birth of George Clifford Beesley Jr. His parents Marjorie Dougherty Beesley and George Clifford Beesley Sr. rejoiced as this gift of God came into their lives.

George lived his childhood and youth in Bloomfield New Jersey where he went to school and graduated from Bloomfield High. You could find George in the outdoors working and playing especially on his cousin’s farm in Flemington New Jersey. Spending summers at the farm was the beginning place of George’s deep interest in the great outdoors that grew into a lifelong interest for hunting and shooting. George’s dad George Sr. was a railroad man working for the Lackawanna Railroad then the Erie Lackawanna Railroad, which brought many a train trip vacations.

From northcentral New Jersey towns, countryside, family, and friends influenced George’s life and gave him a foundation of love, a strong work ethic, zeal for life and desire to serve his fellow man led George to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corp in 1945 where he served his country for four years. In 1948 George’s heart over flowed with love for Lorraine “Mickey” McDonald who later that year became his wife. To this love story were born two children Janice in 1949 and George S. in 1952. Thus began a new adventure for George as husband, father and provider. You could find George on the morning and evening commute into NYC where he worked for IBM. After sometime, the commute became shorter when his office moved closer to home in New Jersey. As an IBM technician George, knew how to fix the newest typewriters that IBM produced. To his last days, he could still fix an IBM Selectric Typewriter, not so much a computer but never underestimate his ability to fix a typewriter. George never met a stranger and his circle of friends grew to include his brother Masons at the Masonic Lodge, where he became a Master Mason. He also met through his dad George Sr. a person who became a longtime friend, John Holley and later the whole Holley tribe.

Always learning new things and open to adventures George not only played the bugle in his younger years but now in his 30’s learned to play the bag pipes and joined a bag pipe band. The learning of new ideas and thought was a deep hunger in George’s soul.

When Janice and George S. were growing up, the family spent many weekends and vacations camping where they would water ski, hike in the mountains or swim in the ocean. It was as the children grew older George and Lorraine bought a small cabin in the Pocono Mountains. As the children grew and left home, George’s parents passed, George retired from IBM, George and Lorraine traveled the country in their motor home visiting family and friends.

It was in the early 80’s that Lorraine’s asthma led them to make the decision to move from the east coast to a drier climate. Their friends John and Marian Holley had moved a few years earlier to Tucson AZ so George and Lorraine traveled out to visit and check out the climate to see if it would help Lorraine. In 1982 George and Lorraine decided to relocated to Tucson and join their friends John and Marian. . . And now there were 4: George and Lorraine, and John and Marian. The foursome would vacation together, spend countless hours together - Lorraine and Marian doing things women do and George and John going out for lunch and the other things men do. George and Lorraine were a very active couple in their new community.

In December of 1988, Lorraine made her transition and John G Holley made his in February of 1989. George and Marian stayed close friends and supported each other in their grief. In 1992, George and Marian discovered a new depth to their relationship and were married. Marian’s family embraced George and he became an integral part of the Holley family. He became grandpa B to his now six grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

George and Marian had many great adventures together, they traveled the world, went hiking and camping, square dancing and family gatherings and wherever the spirit led them, they would go. They were active in a camping and square dance club that brought many outings of fun and friends.

To get away from the summer heat in Tucson, George & Marian spent their summers in Burro Mountain near Silver City, New Mexico. They enjoyed meeting new friends and participating in numerous actives at their summer retreat. They enjoyed riding their ATV into the mountain wilderness spending countless hours together.

When George & Marian were together, they were like youngsters, singing songs together and sharing their love for one another. The Holley family meant everything to George, he always talked about what the kids and grandkids were doing, and it was a joy to have this loving family in his life.

Always learning and growing in his relationship with God George was open to reading about other faith paths and practices and he developed a meditative life that kept him centered in Spirit and always willing to dialogue with others. George was very introspective and well-read in many areas. On Saturday,

October 14, 2017, a light became brighter as George found his freedom form.

His daughter Janice Dingillo and her husband Mike and the entire Holley family survive George.

George will be missed by all his family and his friends.