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CSpenceFLY

Goodbye Beezy

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I believe I was the first skydiver to be called after Beezy died. I am also pretty sure I was the last skydiver outside of the family that talked to Beezy before he died.

This is really hard for me. First because the last time I talked to him he SEEMED to be on the road ro recovery. Secondly, because I missed the call from his wife and I really, truly thought it was Beezy calling me to say he was "all better." It crushed me when I returned the call and his wife told me " you didn't listen to your voicemail, did you?" I had to admit I didn't, and immediately figured out what was up. She appologized to me, but I had to turn it around and ask here why would she give a crap about what I thought, as simply a friend. I am, and was, tremendously grievous about Beezy's death. He was a leader, mentor, trainer. He could do ANYTHING on a DZ. He was smart and would tell you right away if he thought you were a fuck up. He was one of the guys that I yearned to see when I would go to a boogie to vend (for BirdMan).

Make no mistake: the captains of this tiny cottage industry which is known as skydiving ALL hang out together. If not the actual owners, then DEFINITELY the lead vendors. I found this fascinating. When I started lead-vending for BirdMan in 2003 it all started to make sense to me. We would peddle our wares and training all day long, then end up, without fail, in one of each other's campers. We were ALL best friends. Me, Beezy, Chris Martin, Aubrey, J.T., Mark, Egon..... Those were FANTASTIC times and I miss them terribly.

Both Beezy and Chris would call a spade a spade in a half a second. If you were fucked up you would definitely know it. Both had great "country" stories to tell around the bonfire, but both could be very, very direct and to the point. When they spoke, everyone listenened.

I cannot think of a single person that is qualified to take ANY of those guys places on the road. It takes a special person to be able to deal with the rigors of the road. Both Beezy and Chris made no qualms about their sales technique, and later, their ability to throw down. Both were riggers, AFF guys, tandem instructors, and pilots. Beezy, towards the end, never left the airplane with a tandem without pocketting $100. He owned his own gear, did his own video, and dubbed all of it. Very, very clever. I emulate him now down here at Z-hills at my private school.

I won't make it to the service, but I whole-heartedly volunteer to take Tracie on the ash-dive tandem. I owe it to her.

"this situation's tearing ME apart on the inside...
..it's not that easy!
..One must make a final stand..
...It's not that easy!
..If you were down and out, I would lend you my, HELPING HAND..
.it might prove TOO MUCH FOR ONE, I'd gladly EASE YOUR PAIN...
...I'd take you, OUT FROM UNDER,
.Take you somewhere you could, REST YOUR PRECIOUS SOUL, I'd make you wonder"

-Business and Industry, vintage 1987

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I was digging around in my closet last night looking for something. As I shoved some papers aside, I saw the end of a pull-up cord. I pulled it out, and it was one of Beezy's. I think he handed that to me at least 2 years ago at the Halloween boogie and I hadn't seen it since. That was a very weird moment.

I didn't know Beezy well and only chatted with him a few times at boogies. But I swear, I never saw him without a big smile on his face either from teasing someone or laughing with his friends. He was cool. :)

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

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I really don't have the words right now... :(

Beezy, you alwys watched out for me, gave me the best advice, got me the best deals on new gear, and most memorably had the best "One Liners"...

You will always be in my thoughts. Like the kitty said, I can't even remember how many fun jumps you owe me...

and Chuck, I think one of the memories that will always remain clear in my mind is when you actually embarassed Beezy in my camper at Dublin this year to the point he stood in the corner! :o

I'll miss you Beezy!


Goudha is for Buddha, and that's good enough for me!

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I hear you Chuck.
This is a hard one for me as well. I have known Beezy pretty much most of my life, well he rembered me when I was a toddler. Yet it is the last seven years that he and I really became friends.

I used to help him with his ad's and dealer programs, as a matter of fact his last ad's were ones I designed with him and SF in mind, especially the thank you ad. He always called me when he needed some info and I ws always honored to help.

I will never forget a visit to CSC a few years ago working for PD. He wanted to try the Katana I had with me, he of course had his canopies. I said hell no Beezy, I know what you are going to do, a high altitude Hop N Pop then chop the damn thing!!

This was when CSC was doing the Tandem record by dropping 20 at once (oh you were there, werent you the only one that didnt get out?) (the only smart one).

Anyway, we hooked the Katana up in his rig, and before boarding he asked me for a pin check. I said uh ooh hang on you are missing something. I turned around and grabbed my duct tape. I wrapped his cutaway handle so he could not use it. It was and awful tape job, really noticeable. He walked to the loading area, ( I followed just to see the reaction). Not one person noticed, not one! It was amazing, so before he loaded we removed the tape checked the handle and up he went. Of course folks noticed as i was removing the tape.

Love ya Beezy

A few pics at SF 06, not sure what he was doing to Mel in FF, Beezy is at the bottom of the shot, in the series of photos his head is below the Bananna the whole skydive.

Do you find it odd that Chris and Beezy passed on the same weekends?

Blue Skies



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I am so sorry to hear of Beezy's passing. When I think I skydiving...I think of Beezy. He was always incredibly welcoming and willing to help anyone anytime or at least talk their ear off with one of Beezy's outlandish stories!! BSBD Beezy. I'm proud to have known you.
I like coconuts. You can break them open and they smell like ladies lying in the sun!

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One of Skydivings GREATS!

I'll never forget the Beez showing me his wedding ring at the Mountain boogie laughing and cutting up about how crazy his new bride must be for saying yes. When I saw him later it said it was the best thing he could have ever done and wanted to know when I was going to follow him.

I can't ever think of a time when he was too busy to tell a story of answer a question for me. Truely a great human.

Fly free Beezy.

Blue skies....
Lisa

--
Hot Mama
At least you know where you stand even if it is in a pile of shit.

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Beezy was the man I loved to just sit next to and tell lies back and forth. Dublin, Skyfest, it didnt matter, it was a blast. At Skyfest on weather holds I would sit at his booth next to DZ Memories to kill the time and just bs. I didnt have to be about skydiving. He spend over an hour one morning telling me how good the blueberries that he picked were for you and I should eat some of them. I finally grabbed a handful and he just smiled. I thought they were bitter as hell but he loved them. Or he just wanted to watch my face eating sour ass blueberries.

Again at Skyfest if I remember correctly in 06, the women were going for the Texas State record. Beezy and I were watching the dirt dive and some chiks were goofing off and a few kept forgetting there slot. So we took bets on who was going to fuck the dive up. I think they were going 40 or something. I bet they wouldnt get past 20, I think Beezy took 25. So anyway, they go up and Beezy and I go out front and lay in the grass to watch what we expected to be carnage. They go out and they had some people who had a long dive to get there. We laughed and made some smartass jokes. We laughed hard when another chik, I cannot remember her name was also watching on the ground yelled "Get in there Bitches". We both laughed our ass off. Well the ladies made the record and everyone got it. We stood, both just being showed up and he said, "Well dont we look stupid". I had to agree with him. I will miss him at the boogies and at the night time parties. He was a light that attracted everybody. So long my friend. See ya when I get there.
If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!

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Just one Beezy, what can i say. The farm was your home dz. We spent many a week-end shooting the shit. I wish i could of recorded all your stories.:D You are a great guy. You will be sadly missed my friend
We will give you a proper sending away in a couple of weeks time

http://www.skydivethefarm.com

do you realize that when you critisize people you dont know over the internet, you become part of a growing society of twats? ARE YOU ONE OF THEM?

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Beezy..Beezy...Beezy!! We love you Beezy and will miss you SO VERY MUCH. Always a great and loving friend who was never to Beezy when help or time was needed ;)
Tracie,
Scotty and I are thinking and praying for both you and Elsie during this time. If there is anything at all we can do please dont hesitate to call.
MUCH LOVE
Scotty and Tami Carbone

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I got up early one morning to check on him and crawled in to make sure he didn't drown. And Dublin this year, running around with pink Hello Kitty walkie-talkies. I don't even remember what we were saying.

Blue skies Beezy.



Well, with me, he just called up to sing "I've got something in my pocket that belongs across my face, I keep it very close at hand in a most unusual place. I bet you wouldn't guess it if you guessed a long long while, so I'll take it out and put it on, it's a great big girl scout smile!"
What a GREAT GUY!
skydiveTaylorville.org
[email protected]

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I just got back home a couple of hours ago from the memorial service. It was nice to see all the fellow skydivers who showed up - chaoskitty, cspencefly, hisgoofyness and teamjenn and their beautiful baby, pyke, peanut4040, nutz, etc, there were more, but I cannot remember their names. I expected way more of us to show up since Beezy had so many friends. I suspect the DZ memorial and ash dive in the near future will bring them all out.

One thing struck me during the visitation. I had a chance to flip through Beezy's scrapbook. I caught a letter that he wrote when he was possibly in the 5th grade. It was about what he wanted to be when he grew up. He mentioned wanting to be a traffic cop, because his home town was growing. If he couldn't be one, he wanted to be a teacher, because kids needed a good education. I didn't know much about his life before I met him some 11 years ago, but it all makes sense now. He had spent most of his time in skydiving being "unofficially" a safety cop as well as a teacher.

We all who showed up for the service, went out to eat dinner together. Of course, we paid our friend homage with a "him... him... f--- him!!"

Blue Skies Beezy, and my condolences to everyone, especially his family, and closest friends. Boogies will be a little bit less fun without him around.
"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

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Quote

Reading all these posts makes me think he must have been a really good guy.



HE WAS..and we miss him already

at the HALLOWEEN BOOGIE this weekend I an giving everyone glow in the dark bead necklaces to wear in his memory

.
59 YEARS,OVERWEIGHT,BALDIND,X-GRUNT
LAST MIL. JUMP VIET-NAM(QUAN-TRI)
www.dzmemories.com

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