Justin R. Beebe, 26, was born in Springfield, Vermont, on February 1, 1990, to Sheldon and Betsy (Burrington) Beebe. He was a 2008 graduate of Bellows Falls Union High School and attended a post-graduate year at Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, VT. He died living his ultimate dream as a wildland firefighter on Saturday, August 13, 2016, while fighting the Strawberry Fire at Great Basin National Park in Nevada as part of the Lolo Hot Shot crew based out of Missoula, Montana.
Justin called himself a mountain man. From fly fishing to hunting to hiking and more, he was always outside and an avid outdoorsman. He was an intense and talented athlete who excelled in ice hockey, soccer, baseball, and snowboarding. He knew how to live and love life and those he shared it with.
His favorite pastime was planting apple and oak trees at his family’s Vermont camp and meticulously caring for them each year. His sidekick lab, named Boo, followed him wherever he went, and the two of them knew how to make everyone they met feel extremely lucky to have crossed their path.
He wanted so much to be a hot shot, so he took a road trip out west to meet with many wildland fire crews and left them each with a can of his family’s homemade maple syrup so the superintendents would remember the “Vermonter.” It paid off when he got his dream job with the Lolo Hot Shots in Montana. His family, friends, and crew know he would have won the best mustache contest at the end of the season. He was a bright light that God needed more than us. Please take a long walk in the woods to honor him.
Justin is survived by his parents, Sheldon and Betsy Beebe; his sister, Jessica; and the love of his life, Jennifer Zaso; and by his Lolo IHC fire family in Missoula, Montana.
I met your wonderful mother at the Forest Service You will Not Stand Alone class. I love hearing about you from her. She is a precious, wonderful woman.
– Rita WearsIn Rememberance of Justin Beebe, and to Honor a wonderful young man, who I first met as a student when I was the High School Art Educator in his hometown of Westminster, VT.
– Diane Marie CecereJustin Beebe was a great student, a gifted Athlete in several
Sports, and one of my youngest son’s Best Friends during Grades 11 & 12, and until the tragic Firefighting event that took this Young Hero’s amazing life. My son Evan Coughlin, talks about his dear friend Justin often. Evan has stayed in touch with The Beebe Family, who always welcomed him into their home & beloved Camp in Vermont. The unforgettable Memorial Service that was held at Justin’s High School, BFUHS in Westminster, VT, was one I will always remember as the most Honorable & Love-filled gatherings of people that I have ever attended. Our lives were touched & enriched by a connection to Justin in his lifetime.❤️
With Love & Respect to the Beebe Family, Justin’s Love of his Life, Jennifer Zaso, Justin’s Firefighting Family, The Lolo Hotshots, and the many Friends who all miss this Hero, may we all find comfort in the gift of having been a part of Justin’s Life. ❤️🙏😇❤️
And May God Watch Over Justin and All Firefighters in Heaven, and on Earth.
Sincerely,
Diane M. Cecere