Obituary of Alice May Beebe

Alice Mae (Cofiell) Beebe, 94, of East Glastonbury, CT, left for a stroll through God’s garden on June 3, 2026 while the dew was still on the roses. Born March 5, 1932 in Hartford, CT to Edward & Marion (Mockler) Cofiell, Alice was valedictorian of Glastonbury High School Class of 1949. She grew up in the family home and remained there for 86 years before an unexpected move in 2024. An active member of Glastonbury United Methodist Church, singing in the choir and helping oversee the planning and preparations for their famous annual Strawberry Supper and Holiday Fair for many years until the church closed in 2020.

She married John ‘Jack’ Beebe on April 11, 1953 and for 46 years he had no problem knowing Paul Newman was his greatest threat or letting her, let him think, he was in charge until his death on April 18, 1999. Left to miss their ‘calm in the storm’ are some of her greatest joys, her son, Francis & Lenore Beebe, her daughter, Donna & David Langan, her grandson, Brian & Natasha Langan and her great grandchildren, Clara and Grayson. As well as her cousins Leslie Everheart, Cindy Higgins Westlake and Daniel Higgins.

Following in the tradition of her mother, Alice worked as a ‘lunch lady’ at both Eastbury and Naubuc Elementary Schools. When no longer cooking for school kids she worked in a variety of support staffing positions for small companies around Glastonbury, including New England Blacktop. Community service and volunteering were an essential part of mom’s world view and she led by example. A life member of Goodale-Ramaker American Legion Auxiliary Unit 56 serving as president and treasurer, she enjoyed volunteering at the Christmas shop at Rocky Hill State Hospital as well as being a counselor during Girls State week for many years.

‘Get up and go’ Alice was an intelligent, curious and lead from the back of the room lady who loved her McDonald’s French vanilla iced coffee with milk or a Dairy Queen ice cream. She never passed up a lobster roll, baked scallops or her trademark dessert cheesecake. Always up for adventure, mom loved to travel, preferring cruises over all other forms of vacation because they offered an endless salad buffet and variety without the fluster, but she also had her earlier travel trailer days making several cross-country trips with her husband and two kids often keeping Jack out of harm’s way more than the kids. Mom always kept a deck of cards at the kitchen table to play solitaire in between weekly games of setback, cribbage and bridge. An avid reader, she used her interest in books to help keep things organized and in good shape for book sales at the Little Red Library. At home you could often find her in her favorite spot on the porch reading or doing a word search. She enjoyed musical theatre and dancing whether it was watching others or learning a new step or two herself.

A little-known fact about mom until an article in the local paper highlighted others who’d done the same during WWII, is that when she was about 10 years old, she would join her mom and Ida Somers at the local watch tower to spot airplanes. Whatever aircraft they observed, with or without binoculars, a report was called in to the army on a phone installed in the tower. Also memorable were the grilled cheese sandwiches her mom was somehow able to make without a stove at the tower during the long hours on watch.

While mom was open about feeling she had served her purpose and was ready to go these past few years, moving to a senior care facility was not in her plan, but it was in God’s. The morning of her passing was a testament to the mutual respect and admiration she shared with staff at Jefferson House. It became evident that she did have one more purpose: to remind some weary healthcare workers that some patients have families that do show up and sometimes the patient themselves are able to spread joy, express gratitude and share grace bringing the staff a little boost in morale following the crazy of COVID and the shift of the world since 2020. Our family cannot say enough about the kind, compassionate and consistent care mom received at every level with special thanks to Pam Brown, her care coordinator, and the Burnham wing staff (including, but not limited to Chloe, Phyllis, Marsha, Christine, Robyn, Iris, Kyle and Hospice Iris) for their gracious support.

A celebration of Alice’s life will be held on Friday, June 12, 2026 at Mulryan Funeral Home, 725 Hebron Avenue, Glastonbury, CT. The family will receive friends at 10am with a prayer service and eulogy at 11am followed by burial at Nipsic Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the East Glastonbury Public Library, 1389 Neipsic Road, Glastonbury, CT 06033 or TOG/Flags on Main, P.O. Box 6523, Glastonbury, CT 06033.  For online condolences, please visit www.mulryanfh.com.