Beebe, Douglas "Doug"

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of DOUGLAS ALAN BEEBE on Thursday, November 9th at the age of 75 years.

He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 27 years, Karen, his sons Daniel Paul, Daniel Grey (Naomi), Clayton (Jennifer), and Brad (Kimie). He will be missed by his grandchildren: Cade, Aya, Gianna, Caitlin (Barnaby), Jonah and Isa, as well as his great-granddaughter, RayElla. He is survived by his sisters, Phyllis and Trish (Allan). He is predeceased by his brothers, Barry and Earl, his father, Paul and his mother, Mary.

Doug grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario. In his youth, he was a self-described troublemaker who warranted telephone calls from the school principal on more than one occasion. Doug started his work life as a painter for his dad. He thought better of that and decided to go to trade school to become an electrician; he then worked as a lineman for Ontario Hydro. Eventually, Doug moved to Burnaby, BC and built his first home in Pitt Meadows, BC. When Doug started with Johnson Controls Inc., he was a union electrician.  However, his strong people skills and personal and professional goals resulted in several promotions which led to his role as branch manager at Academy Mechanical Services in Edmonton, AB (a subsidiary of JCI). It was here that he proved his mettle as a skilled businessman. He moved up the corporate ladder within JCI, which meant moving first to Laguna Niguel, CA and then East Amherst, NY. After 25 years, Doug retired from Johnson Controls as Vice President of Western Operations, but it was too soon for golfing and a rocking chair. Before long, his second career took off with Tyco International / SimplexGrinnell. Doug spent ten years with Tyco and retired as the President of the Canadian company and VP of the Western United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. From humble beginnings, Doug was a man who became a servant leader to nearly 4000 employees and an organization he valued. After that impressive run, he followed up with the creation of DBeebeConsulting Ltd. His sons would joke that for all his aptitude in business, he could not get the retirement thing right! Doug was wired differently from most people; he worked hard and inspired many. His professional legacy is near legendary.

All his hard work was not just for the satisfaction of being the best; he also needed to fund his many expensive habits. Doug loved "shiny things" - fast cars, trucks, quads, snowmobiles, side-by-sides, boats, guns, and way too much fishing gear. If it was shiny, he wanted one! All these toys were not just for him; after he retired, he spent almost as much time on the road towing something to be with his sons or his friends. There were hunting trips, fishing trips, snowmobile trips and trips just for the heck of it. Doug loved to be outside, going fast enough to blow his hair back, but not fast enough to spill his drink.
He always swore he would not go peacefully. Rather, he wanted to skid into the grave, broken and beat up, with a giant grin on his face, saying: "What a ride!" He truly did not know how to slow down, and he only knew how to do things one way: his way. And so, in the early evening on November 9th, he passed peacefully at Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge.  

He touched so many people in so many ways. He lived large and made no apologies for it. We admired the man and his generosity. He made us all better versions of ourselves. He will be deeply missed, and we will continue to tell our stories of the legend that was Doug Beebe. Rest in Peace.

A Celebration of Doug's Life will be held at COAST HOTEL, 526 Mayor Magrath Drive S, Lethbridge, AB, on Sunday, December 3, 2023 at 1:30 P.M. with Reverend Glenda Wert officiating. The Celebration of Life will be live-streamed and may be viewed through Doug's obituary on the Cornerstone website.

In lieu of flowers and in memory of Doug, donations may be made to a charity of one's choice.