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Harold Beach
Harold J. Beach passed away Monday, July 26, 2010, at the age of 84.
To honor his wishes, no funeral service will be held. A gathering of family and friends to honor and remember Harold will be held at the Seventh Day Adventist Church, 2425 American Legion Blvd., in Mountain Home, on Saturday, July 31, from 2-4 p.m. Cremation is under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel in Mountain Home.
Harold was born on Sept. 3, 1925, to James W. and Hattie C. Beach in Mountain Home. He attended school in Mountain Home and Gem State Academy, Caldwell, where in his senior year he was called to serve in the U.S. Navy during WWII.
In the fall of 1943, Harold became a Corpsman with the U.S. Navy Medical Corps and served until August 1946, when he was honorably discharged.
While stationed at San Diego, Calif., he met Margaret (Peggy) C. Watson, who was also serving in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps. They married on June 18, 1947.
Upon their return to Mountain Home, they built a house and raised five children, Jim, Bob, Martin, Dennis and Betsy. They were divorced in 1968.
During Harold's service, he completed his final year of high school (GRE Equivalent), so upon his discharge, he was able to directly enter college.
He attended Walla Walla College in Washington, majoring in chemistry, and supported his studies working at the Hanford Nuclear site in nearby Hanford, Wash.
In 1950, Harold graduated with a bachelor's of science degree in chemistry.
He returned to Mountain Home and became a chemistry teacher at the high school for 17 years.
During his teaching years Harold conducted extra duties, including annual photography advisor and vice principal. Harold continued his education while teaching and received a master's degree in education. From 1965 until 1967,
Harold was principal of Mountain Home Air Force Base Junior High School. In 1967, he became principal of Mountain Home Junior High School where he continued to work until his retirement in 1987.
On April 19, 1974, Harold married Barbara Lutsko and became the proud stepfather of Cindy, Susan and Vicki.
As a proud third-generation Mountain Home resident, Harold loved Idaho and in particular the Elmore County area.
He was an avid deer and elk hunter in his younger years, but in his later years, he gave up hunting and dedicated his spare time to drowning worms at Anderson and Strike Dam Reservoirs with some of his favorite fisherman friends.
Harold is survived by his wife, Barbara, of Mountain Home, sons James and wife Kay Beach of Riverside Calif., Robert Beach of Fort Collins, Col., Martin and wife Moira Beach of Mountain Home, and Dennis Beach of Fort Collins, Colo., daughter Elizabeth Gaines of Mountain Home, stepdaughters Cynthia and husband Roy Smith of Montague, Calif., Susan and husband Tony Stapleton of Pocatello, Idaho, and Vicki and husband Kevin Ringering of Caldwell, Idaho, three sisters, Deloris Munsey, Lorraine Foster and Carolyn Kubitschek, 12 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Harold was preceded in death by both of his parents and his beloved granddaughter, Charmaine Beach.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Desert View Christian School c/o Seventh Day Adventist Church, P.O. Box 124 Mountain Home, ID 83647.