Obituary for TOMMY ALFRED BEAUCHAINE
Tommy Alfred ‘Tom’ Beauchaine,76, of Negaunee, loving husband, father and grandfather, passed away on Thursday, June 20th at the Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin following a brief battle with cancer.
Tom was born in Ishpeming, Michigan on July 22, 1942 to Alfred and Lempi (Alongo) Beauchaine, graduated from Negaunee High School, Class of 1961, and then enlisted in the United States Army and served three years. Upon his honorable discharge, he gained employment for Cleveland Cliffs Iron Co. at the Empire Mine where he worked until his retirement in 1996. He was united in marriage to Shirley Racine on June 3, 1967 and together they raised two children.
Tom loved fishing with his grandchildren, especially with his oldest grandson Jacob, with whom he shared a special bond. He was an avid woodworker and it provided him with great joy to lovingly create beautiful pieces of wood art for friends and family. While he sold some of his work, he was more likely to give it away because he loved the joy it brought people. Tom also loved picking blueberries. He spent many hours in the woods hunting for blueberries and it was not uncommon for him to be gone from sun-up to sundown. While he enjoyed a good blueberry pie every now and then, he picked them for those he loved knowing how much we enjoy them. Tom could fix and do just about anything and he always stayed busy. He spent his summers as a handyman working at the Northwoods Club where he developed many friendships during the last 20 years. However, the joy of his life was his family, especially his three grandchildren. He spent countless hours swimming, fishing and four wheeling with them creating memories that will be cherished forever. Family was everything to Tom and they always came first. We could have not asked for a better husband, father and grandfather.
Surviving are his loving wife of 52 years, Shirley Beauchaine; his children, Lori Beauchaine of Sheboygan, Wisconsin and Curt (Renee) Beauchaine of Green Bay, Wisconsin; four grandchildren: Jacob Beauchaine, Rose and Alexander Ristow, and Phillip (Cathy) Glinski; two great-grandchildren, Hailey and Aubrey Glinski; four sisters: Geraldine Bair of Napa, California, Patricia LaFreniere of Negaunee, Susan Erickson of Ishpeming and Kay Beauchaine of Norway; his brothers-in-law: Alan Besola of Ishpeming and Bud Bair of Napa, California; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters: Nancy Besola of Ishpeming and Marsha McClary of Detroit; and his brothers Duane Beauchaine, Steven Beauchaine and Bruce Beauchaine, all of Negaunee.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 3:30 pm on Monday, July 1st at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church with Rev. Ryan Ford officiating. Visitation will be held from 1:30 pm until the time of Mass at 3:30 pm at the church on Monday. A luncheon will be held immediately following Mass. The family would like to thank the caring staff of the palliative care unit at the VA as well as The Fisher House. As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be made to the Fisher House in Milwaukee in Tom’s memory.
Mr. Beauchaine’s memorial page may be viewed at koskeyfuneralhome.com.
Tom was born in Ishpeming, Michigan on July 22, 1942 to Alfred and Lempi (Alongo) Beauchaine, graduated from Negaunee High School, Class of 1961, and then enlisted in the United States Army and served three years. Upon his honorable discharge, he gained employment for Cleveland Cliffs Iron Co. at the Empire Mine where he worked until his retirement in 1996. He was united in marriage to Shirley Racine on June 3, 1967 and together they raised two children.
Tom loved fishing with his grandchildren, especially with his oldest grandson Jacob, with whom he shared a special bond. He was an avid woodworker and it provided him with great joy to lovingly create beautiful pieces of wood art for friends and family. While he sold some of his work, he was more likely to give it away because he loved the joy it brought people. Tom also loved picking blueberries. He spent many hours in the woods hunting for blueberries and it was not uncommon for him to be gone from sun-up to sundown. While he enjoyed a good blueberry pie every now and then, he picked them for those he loved knowing how much we enjoy them. Tom could fix and do just about anything and he always stayed busy. He spent his summers as a handyman working at the Northwoods Club where he developed many friendships during the last 20 years. However, the joy of his life was his family, especially his three grandchildren. He spent countless hours swimming, fishing and four wheeling with them creating memories that will be cherished forever. Family was everything to Tom and they always came first. We could have not asked for a better husband, father and grandfather.
Surviving are his loving wife of 52 years, Shirley Beauchaine; his children, Lori Beauchaine of Sheboygan, Wisconsin and Curt (Renee) Beauchaine of Green Bay, Wisconsin; four grandchildren: Jacob Beauchaine, Rose and Alexander Ristow, and Phillip (Cathy) Glinski; two great-grandchildren, Hailey and Aubrey Glinski; four sisters: Geraldine Bair of Napa, California, Patricia LaFreniere of Negaunee, Susan Erickson of Ishpeming and Kay Beauchaine of Norway; his brothers-in-law: Alan Besola of Ishpeming and Bud Bair of Napa, California; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters: Nancy Besola of Ishpeming and Marsha McClary of Detroit; and his brothers Duane Beauchaine, Steven Beauchaine and Bruce Beauchaine, all of Negaunee.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 3:30 pm on Monday, July 1st at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church with Rev. Ryan Ford officiating. Visitation will be held from 1:30 pm until the time of Mass at 3:30 pm at the church on Monday. A luncheon will be held immediately following Mass. The family would like to thank the caring staff of the palliative care unit at the VA as well as The Fisher House. As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be made to the Fisher House in Milwaukee in Tom’s memory.
Mr. Beauchaine’s memorial page may be viewed at koskeyfuneralhome.com.