Oakfield - Mr. Samuel C. Beckley, 73, of Oakfield, died Wednesday, (March 10, 2010)at Strong Memorial Hospital.
Mr. Beckley was born October 31, 1936 in Brooklyn, having been raised in the Panama Canal Zone, a son of the late Samuel C. and Anna (Lawson) Beckley.
Mr. Beckley was a train enthusiast and also enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. He also enjoyed gardening, taking summer vacations to the Outer Banks with his family and traveling to Panama, where he would meet up with his former classmates.
He was a food technologist for the United States Department of Agriculture in Seattle until his retirement in 1999. A veteran, Mr. Beckley served with the United States Army from 1960 to 1963.
Mr. Beckley was a 1955 graduate of Balboa High School in Panama and later graduated from Canal Zone Junior College also in Panama. He then graduated from The State University of New York at Cobleskill in 1959, earning his degree in animal husbandry. Mr. Beckley also earned his bachelors degree from Regents College.
He was a member of the Oakfield United Methodist Church, Oakfield Rod and Gun Club, Oakfield Historical Society and the Panama Canal Society. Mr. Beckley was also a Village of Oakfield Trustee, a Mason and past elder for the former Oakfield Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include his wife, Beverly (DeSmith) Beckley of Oakfield, whom he married July 8, 1961; a son, Samuel Chris Beckley of Roanoke, Virginia; two daughters, Sarah (Sean) Johnson of Caledonia and Sonja (Chad) Armbrewster of Batavia, five grandchildren, Noah Beckley, Hollie and Kylie Johnson, Gaige and Gavin Armbrewster; a brother, Lawson (Anna) Beckley of Richmond, Virginia and several nieces and nephews.
Calling hours are Sunday from 3 to 7 p.m. at Burdett & Sanford Funeral Home, 11 Maple Avenue, Oakfield. Services will be at 11:00 a.m. Monday at Oakfield United Methodist Church, 2 South Main Street, Oakfield. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Bristol. Memorials may be made to All Babies Cherished, 445 Ellicott Street, Batavia, New York 14020 or Oakfield Historical Society, 37 Main Street, Oakfield, New York 14125. Condolences may be made at www.burdettandsanford.com.
