JULY 2008 - TRIBUTE - CANON TOM BEACOM
Earlier this year the death occurred of a remarkable former member of the Cathedral Chapter, the Reverend Canon Thomas Ernest Beacom. Canon Tom was born in Aughnacloy, Co. Tyrone, on 18th April 1912. He served as a Church of Ireland Clergyman for 72 years. He died on 21st April 2008 in Drayton Valley, Alberta, Canada.
Always a smile instead of a frown,
Always a hand when one was down;
Always true, thoughtful and kind,
Wonderful memories he has left behind.
He was really a countryman at heart and his home was just a mile from the Blackwater River in Co Tyrone. He often talked of jaunts with his father in the Pony and Trap when they went to inspect the cattle, or to make hay. At the age of 12, Archdeacon Cooke suggested he should attend King’s Hospital School in Dublin, so he left his parents, 2 sisters and a brother, to start a new life in Dublin. He entered Trinity College in 1930, graduated in 1933 and received his Bachelor of Divinity in 1934. He was too young for ordination so he went to the Reverend Lougheed in Clara as a Lay-Reader for a year. He was ordained on 25th January 1936 in Limerick and priested in December of the same year.
In 1938-44 he went as a curate to Banbridge, the rectory was very large so Canon Parr allowed him to live there. As it was wartime, Scottish, Welsh and U.S. troops were billeted in the area and he catered to their spiritual needs as well as those of his parishioners. He played hockey, tennis and produced plays and when he left he was described as an “indefatigable worker and an outstanding Scholar who had left an indelible impression on the youth of the Parish”.
On 15th April 1941, 745 people lost their lives and many buildings and churches were destroyed in a terrible Blitz on the City of Belfast. Bishop McNeice convened a meeting in Fortwilliam Park with the clergy of all three Dioceses to see what support they could give the people in need. The young Curate from Banbridge did not realise when he saw St. Katharine’s Church Hall that it would be the scene of his labours for 38 years.
On the 1st May 1944, he was appointed Curate in Charge. There was no rectory and a dual purpose hall where the sanctuary was closed off and the rest of the floor used for meetings. 250 Pre-Fabs had been built on the Lough Shore, so many new families had to be catered for. He taught in the junior schools and the Parish was growing quickly. To ease the situation a large Nissen Hut was bought costing £1,000 but after 6 years more space was required so the suggestion was to build a hall by voluntary labour as there were quite a few tradesmen in the Parish willing to work for tea, scones and apple pie - cheap labour.
A red brick hall 50 feet long with a Canadian Maple floor, was soon built but he still had the vision of a Church which would only be used for worship. Finally the Foundation Stone was laid on 14th April 1956. The furniture came from St Matthias in Dublin which had closed, but now it was to have a new lease of life north of the border and the consecration was on 24th November 1956. He remembered, “Bishop Elliott knocked 3 times on the door with his staff, this was the moment I thanked God with all my heart that I had been spared to see the door opened on what to me was just a dream”.
He had married in 1948, so the burden of a busy life was shared with Hazel and three children David, Ros and Nigel, always ready to sort out problems and help with emergencies. With the new church he was able to read the daily office and he said “his congregation was mostly the angels and archangels”. He honoured all the Saints days and upheld the view that this was God’s House of Prayer and had to be treated with respect. He held Compline every Saturday night, Churching services for young mothers and services for the renewal of marriage vows where over 60 couples attended. He also organised reunion services for those Christened and Confirmed and Pram services were held twice a year for 4 years - one newspaper described it as a “Howling Success”.
His greatest delight was to have been appointed Registrar in 1963 as it gave him an opportunity to meet new clergy until he retired in 1982. He was Rural Dean of North Belfast for 14 years and Hon. Sec. of the Diocesan Library for 40 years. He was on the Diocesan Council and Joint Hon. Sec. for 32 years as well as Warden of the Lay Readers for 14 years.
He and his wife retired to Whitehead but in 1993 moved to Alberta, Canada to their daughter and her family. It was a big change at 81 but he always had a great zest for life. He helped with the services in All Saints Anglican Church where he was a popular preacher.
At 90 years of age he had to go into long term care; he was there for 5 years. He passed away peacefully 3 days after his 96th birthday. He had already received a gold printed letter of Congratulations from the Governor General of Canada and was waiting for his letter from the Queen to mark his 60th Wedding Anniversary in June but it had to be cancelled as it was only 59 years 10 months. The family has received over 200 letter and cards which shows that he is remembered fondly by so many. He will be deeply missed by his family and his clerical friends.
