I want to thank everyone who has sent their thoughts and condolences.  It means a lot to my brothers and I that our Mother was so well thought of in her community.  We will be having a memorial on Wednesday, August 28 from 4 to 6 at Celebrations in Cropwell, Alabama.  There will be some food, I will humbly try to speak about and to my Mother's life, and then if anyone else would like to share thier thoughts or stories about her, we would love to hear them.  Thank you for your support.  Tobie

We are so sorry for your loss. We hope you will take comfort in the precious memories you shared with her.
Henry and Peggy Hall (Cropwell,Al)

Chris and I met in person only a few times. But we conversed online for years. She had a brilliant, logical mind; great strength of character; and a kind, loving soul. God bless you, Christine, and bring peace and comfort to your family. We will miss you.

I did not know Christine personally, but always enjoyed her posts on the St. Clair County Discussion Board. I loved the fact that she was what I call a "gutsy lady" who spoke her mind and never backed down on her true beliefs. It was my loss that I never had the opportunity to meet her.

CHRISTINE BEAL-KAPLAN, REQUIESCAT IN PACE

 
      Those of us who knew Chris through various discussion boards will recall that she lived for political purity, and fixing the moral and civic wrongs of our country.  On the day of the night she died, she replied to a post of mine:  "Jerry, dear friend, I have to disagree with you. This is NOT chicken little stuff. Congress is a mess and a disgrace. It's fact, not someone running around saying that the sky is falling."
 That's classic CBK, the kind of thing that has been going on ever since I've known her.  But the one thing in her comment that really sticks in my mind is the first three words: "Jerry, dear friend..."  She did not mince words; if she said something, she really meant it, whether you liked it or not, so I know she was being honest.  I will surely miss that, and so will a lot of folks in our little part of the world.
 I first became acquainted with Chris during one of our EAA Fly-In breakfasts at Sammie's Touch & Go, but didn't get a chance to chat until she had a yard sale when closing her aircraft repair business at Pell City Airport.  I still have a heavy duty garden hose I bought there, but so far have found little use for the aileron angle calibration gauge, although it's a really cool conversation piece.
 Her firm was called SARCO (Small Aircraft Repair Company) and, as recently as last week, I followed her little white Toyota pickup, with that bright red name still blazoned across the tailgate, to Wild & Wonderful Wednesday at Pell City Library.  
 Sadly, we didn't get a chance to chat, as I was too busy doing my usual mingle thing with a dozen people and she was handing out flyers for the Civitans Cardboard Regatta event.   We did not sit together during the show, and somehow left separately without even saying goodbye.  That was the last time I saw her, and  hindsight is filled with regret for not having spent more time just shooting the breeze or maybe grabbing a bite to eat somewhere.
 Chris was a feisty dynamo of a woman, with a life history that would make one heck of an interesting book.  She did it all, traveled the world, and flew aircraft types of which most of us can only dream.  Besides being a skilled pilot who was licensed to fly anything with propellers, he was also rated to work on those great old radial engines, the big noisy kind you see on DC3's and World War 2 trainers.  She also served as a nurse and radiation technician in the service, and spent lots of time in Germany and Hawaii.
 She loved Pell City Airport, at least for a while, and fought bravely against anything that tried to alter its home-field atmosphere.  One of the longest threads ever begun on the old SCCAL chat board concerned changes at the airport, and Chris was right in there with all of us, swinging hardest of all.  
 The Airport Authority had little use for her, but that was their problem, not hers.  In her mind, they started it but she would finish it one way or another.  As it turned out, it got finished in another way, but over her continuous and vehement objection.
 Chris was like a pitbull when it came to authority and procedure.  I recall the time when a local paper printed a somewhat misleading statement to the effect that,"...the County Commission voted to transfer Rosco Broom to the Airport Authority...".   She became livid at this breach of procedure, and fired off a letter to the Commission, chastising them for their lack of protocol.  
 It was only then that we all learned that Rosco Broom was nothing more than a runway sweeping machine they had picked up cheap and assigned to Pell City Airport.  Surprised but ever-undaunted, her reply was, "Well they should have made it plainer!"  I'm told her letter is still on display somewhere in the Ashville municipal building.
 But Chris had far more warm sides than fierce ones;  she was a complex lady.  One thing for certain, if she ever called you "friend",  she meant it.  One time I had a stomach virus so bad I couldn't even leave the house to get some Immodium at the drugstore.  She not only fetched it for me, but also a big sack of groceries along with the admonition, "You need to be on the BRAT diet for about a week."  And, sure enough, the sack contained Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and bread for Toast, along with some Gatorade to replenish my electrolytes.   It worked wonderfully.  You could always count on her giving much more than you asked.
 Until her passing, she's operated a licensed, non-profit shelter for abandoned large dogs at her home near Chula Vista.   No animal, including her horse, Ivan, and two donkeys she picked up somewhere, could have asked for a better refuge.  Called Wagging Tails Cottage, it hosted at least a dozen big dogs who were forever getting out of the fence and eating her out of house & home, but she loved them all, and swore she preferred their company to any number of humans she could name.
 During her aviation career, she was privileged to know many of the great ones, including a local former WAF named Nancy Batson Crews, who was a ferry pilot during WW2.  They were the best of friends, and Nancy often flew as co-pilot for Chris on long charter flights even after Nancy's career was officially over.
 Chris was a doer, a mover and shaker.  Active in Civitans, Kiwanis, Pell City Library Guild and the Coast Guard Auxiliary, she found or made time for anything that she felt needed doing or promoting, including yours truly.  It took her a while, but she finally convinced me that my photography deserved at least one wall showing, and I reluctantly hung about four dozen of my better ones at Pell City Library.
 The show went over well, I sold a few framed prints, and took a fresh look at several other ideas.  Since then, I have had four shows at various venues, sold lots of prints, and gotten heavily involved in writing for local magazines and newspapers, all inspired by her genuine faith in my work.
 Chris was adamant about writing to congressmen, local legislators and officials about the innumerable wrongs that have crept into our system.  I've begged her for years to just cool it and enjoy her working retirement, but she always said that certain things were far too vital to our country to ignore, and she certainly put her paper, stamps and keyboard where her mouth was.  Lord help any local politician who found him/erself in her presence without a means of escape.  If it needed sayin', she said it.
 Chris loved posting on websites, and getting together with cyber friends, most of whom she had never met.   One thing for sure, it didn't take long for her to make her meaning clear on any topic, and she clung to her true feelings like a lioness defending her cubs.
 As I've said before, there are people in the world for whom there are no replacements, not even good substitutes.  Christine Beal-Kaplan was that kind of person.  Her passing has left a huge hole in the lives of hundreds of family, pilots, friends, benevolent societies, lost dogs, and anyone who appreciates genuine people who haven't an ounce of pretense about them.
 I know it's going to be boring, but rest in peace, dear lady.

My condolences to Christine's family and friends.   I also knew her through OSE Coffeeshop.  Such a remarkable woman with remarkable adventures.  I am going to miss her contributions to our conversation.  Missy B

We will miss you from the group, but will see you again on the other side!
   Dafrog!

I knew Chris only through an on-line discussion site as well--she was articulate and passionate in her beliefs--she'll be missed

Enjoyed so much the postings by Nani at the OSE Coffeeshop.  She led a wonderful life of adventure.  God's blessings to her family and friends.

I met nani on line on a group facebook sort of our own for politico debate and  conversation we all will miss her dearly and are grateful for all her contributions to the site and the conversations to which she made a difference

OBITUARY

Christine Beal-Kaplan

November 6, 1941 – July 27, 2013

Kilgroe Funeral Home

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