Joe A. Beebe

Joe Austin Beebe: February 25, 1940–May 23, 2025

Joe Beebe was born February 25, 1940, in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, to Christina (Loeb) Beebe and Burton Beebe. He grew up in the care of his aunt and uncle, “Speed” and Ed Gold, first in Eau Claire, then in nearby Chippewa Falls. Athletic and coordinated, Joe took naturally to sports. He was also patient and deliberate, which served him well as a carpenter, musician, mechanic, and artist. He pursued and enjoyed these interests all his life.

Gentle and soft-spoken, Joe was always willing to accept others as they were. Even as a teen he was a pacifist with ideals of equality for all. As he approached draft age, Speed wanted young men like him to have the right to serve their country in other ways than military enlistment. This inspired him to draft legislation that became the basis for the Peace Corps. During that time, Joe joined the (Quaker) American Friends Service Committee.

In 1965, Joe began working for a remodeler in Denver, Colorado. Returning to Wisconsin two years later, he continued his career as a carpenter and opened a shop, Beebe Builds, on River Street in Chippewa Falls. He visited the Gulf coast of Florida in 1974 and moved to Captiva Island the next year. He lived aboard a houseboat he remodeled in a pagoda style and became a regular at the local British-themed pub The Mucky Duck.

For the next 40 years, Joe designed, built, and repaired anything made of wood for people on Captiva Island, Sanibel Island, and nearby Fort Myers. His customers included Kitty Andersen of the Andersen Windows family and artist Robert Rauschenberg. While he considered himself a musician above all, he earned his living through carpentry. After new regulations made houseboat life more difficult for him, Joe returned to Wisconsin. He settled in Menomonie, where he lived out the rest of his life.

His kind nature and ability to listen without judgment made him well liked wherever he went. Easy to recognize in his signature wool beret, Joe made many friends at community events and live music shows. One of those friends, Christine Eggers, later became his attending nurse for home visits. Christine helped care for Joe through his final days.

Until the end, Joe had company. His sister, Kathryn (Gold) Bennett and brother-in-law Ronald Bennett spent several days reminiscing with him and contemplating the hereafter. Far from being afraid, Joe said he looked forward to his next adventure as a spirit without a body. He lived on his own terms: treading lightly in the world, practicing craftsmanship, and promoting peace.

Joe died peacefully May 23, 2025, after a brief illness. He was preceded in death by birth parents Burton and Christina, adoptive parents Speed and Ed Gold, and brother Laurence Gold. He is survived by sister Kathryn Bennett, brothers Chris Beebe and Russell Beebe, sister Caroline “Keedo” (Beebe) Cofrin, and several nieces and nephews, including Michelle Bennett, Carrie Bennett, and Clay Bennett.

A private memorial service will be held in June.

To share a memory, please visit obituaries at www.olsonfuneral.com