Beecher Wallace Vaughn

Today, we say our farewell to our Brother, Beecher Wallace Vaughn, who laid his tools aside and passed to the Grand Lodge Above. Dear Brother, may it be your portion to hear from the Judge Supreme, “Well done my good and faithful servant, enter now to your reward “.

Beecher Wallace Vaughn was passed and raised in Portage Lakes Masonic Lodge of Akron, Ohio and earned his Master Mason Degree on 23 May 1960. He served as Worshipful Master Knollwood Lodge, #774, 1976-77. Beecher served the 1999-2000 term as the Most Illustrious Grand Master for the State of Ohio and attended inspections in all 88 counties. Beecher earned his Masonic 33rd degree on 26 Sep 2000. He was a very involved mason in many masonic organizations and was the recipient of many distinguished honors. Beecher served alongside his late wife Ellen as Worthy Patron of Beaver Valley Chapter #570, Order of the Eastern Star.

Beecher Wallace Vaughn was born on a 105-acre farm in middle Tennessee at the height of the depression, 3 December 1932. His father, Venson, farmed, broke mules, and worked for the CCC, helping build the Dale Hollow Dam. During the second World War, the Vaughn family moved to the Akron, Ohio area so that Beecher’s dad could work for Goodrich making fuel tanks for airplanes. Wally had two brothers. The oldest was Venson Edward Vaughn, Jr., known as Ed or Jack. The youngest was Max Ray Vaughn, known as Spool. Beecher was called Wallace or Wab.

In May of 1950, the month before North Korea decided it was a good idea to invade South Korea, Beecher Vaughn and his good friend Tom Snyder decided it was a good idea to join the Air Force. After Basic training and Radio Operator training, Beecher headed back home and married Tom’s sister, Ellen Snyder. She was still sixteen. Beecher was deployed to San Antonio, TX and then on to Roslyn, Long Island, NY. In the spring of 1952, he shipped out to the Philippines and spent the next 18 months as a radio operator for the 854th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron on Clark Air Force Base 60 miles north of Manila. His crew would position themselves at the top of mountains and communicate with airplanes by means of Morse Code.

After his tour of duty in the Philippines was complete, Beecher finished up his enlistment in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Beecher had earned his high school GED while in the service. He started attending Akron University on the GI bill part-time in the fall term of 1956 where he took classes in the morning and worked evening shift for nine years to earn his degree in Electrical Engineering.

After graduation in 1965, Beecher accepted a civilian electrical engineering position at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The family moved to Fairborn for a year and then on to Beavercreek, Ohio. Beecher and Ellen lived on the same lot of land for the next 46 years.

At Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Beecher spent his first 13 years working all aspects of embedded and support computer resources. He then moved into the management arena in configuration/data management and rose to GM-15 level as the chief of Configuration/Data Management Division (ASC/CYC).

After retirement in January 1997, Beecher and Ellen started traveling throughout the US by motorhome. They would spend the winters in central Florida. In 2012, they sold the family home in Beavercreek and lived full-time in their RV.

Beecher and Ellen moved into the Browning Masonic Community after Ellen was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2014. Until death do us part came on 17 Nov 2017. The marriage lasted a day less than 66 years 7 months.

After a year of mourning, Beecher found companionship and remarried. His health started declining after a fall in 2019 resulted in a cervical spine fracture with weakness from Central Cord Syndrome. This was aggravated by worsening Parkinsonism.

Beecher is survived by his wife of 4 years, Matilda Jane Webb, children Gail (Terry) Sanner and Glen (Chandra) Vaughn; grandchildren Anthony (Elizabeth) Warlick, Russell (Jaime) Warlick,

Melissa Irvin, Kathryn (Jason) Heitman, Adam Vaughn, Courtney (Patrick) Rowland, and Jacob Vaughn; great-grandchildren Johnathan Warlick, Jane Elizabeth Warlick, Etta Greathouse, Samuel Greathouse, Whitcomb Greathouse, Hannah Gibbs, Alexia Irvin, Jordyn Irvin, Kynzie Heitman, Asher Heitman and Henry Rowland; great, great-grandchild Luna Trippett. He is preceded in death by brothers Max Ray Vaughn and Venson Edward Vaughn, Jr.; son Gary Wallace Vaughn; wife Ellen Vaughn; great-grandchild Joseph Warlick; and great-great-grandchild Link Trippett.

A Visitation will be held on Wednesday, Dec 6, 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM, followed by the funeral service on Thursday, December 7 at 10 AM at Tobias Funeral Home, 3970 Dayton Xenia Road, Dayton, OH 45432. Following the service, Beecher will be cremated, and his remains laid to rest in Valley View Cemetery with his wife, Ellen and son, Gary. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to The Ohio Masonic Home Communities or a charity of the donor’s choice.