Lasting Memories

Marts Edward Beekley
Aug. 22, 1931-Feb. 16, 2012
Atherton, California

Dr. Marts Edward Beekley passed away peacefully at his home on Feb. 16, 2002, surrounded by loving family and friends. He will be remembered as a beloved family man, scholar-athlete, pediatrician leader, and winemaker, student of John Muir and Louis Pasteur, and steward of the land.

He was born on Aug. 22, 1931, in Glendale, near Cincinnati, Ohio, to Dr. Ferris E Beekley and Elizabeth Marts Beekley. He was the grandson of farmers whose families had first settled the Ohio River Valley in 1803.

He grew up in the small community of Sharonville, Ohio, in the house that served as both his father's medical office and home. As the second of four generations of football players, he graduated from Ohio State University as an All-star defensive back for his lifelong mentor Woody Hayes.

At The Ohio State University he met and married his wife of 58 years, Mary Suzanne (Sue) Griffin. Following in his father's footsteps (class of 1925), he was a second generation graduate of Cincinnati medical school (class of 1957). From 1958 to 1961 he was stationed with the Public Health Service in El Centro and the San Francisco Presidio. In 1963 he competed his medical training as Chief Resident at Los Angeles Children's Hospital, mentored by Dr. Arthur Parmelee.

In 1963 Dr. Beekley began his life-long career with Kaiser Permanente. He served as Assistant Chief of Pediatrics at the Santa Clara Medical Center and Chief of Pediatrics at the Redwood City Medical Center. He was widely respected as a clinician for both his encyclopedic knowledge of medicine and his compassionate bedside manner. While working with colleagues he led by example, putting into practice his father's words: "Work hard. Be silent. Work speaks for itself."

Following his father's teaching to "make the most of life in work and play" he devoted himself to the art and science of winemaking. Passionately committed to Californian viticulture, he nurtured his own grapes from vine to bottle. Though an expert on California winemaking, he stuck to his motto: "Never give up your daytime job,"

He was a member of The Society of Medical Friends of Wine, The Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association and The Peninsula Wine Group. A farmer at heart, he pruned every vine by hand, but made a yearly celebration of the harvest with his large group of friends and family.

Dr. Beekley is survived by his wife, Sue Beekley, sisters Jane Foulser and Barbara Bachman, son Bruce Beekley (Jan Beekley), daughters Sarah (Michael Hahn) and Ellen (Tracy Page), and Grandchildren Sarah, Brent, Anjali, Brett, Jenna, James, Lauren and Natalie,

His memorial page can be viewed at www.sympathytree.com/martsebeekley/

Friends are invited to attend a memorial service at Christ Episcopal Church of Portola Valley at 815 Portola Road, Portola Valley, CA at 2 pm on March 17th. A reception and celebration of his life will follow the service. Internment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the JW House (www.JWHouse.org) or the Christ Church of Portola Valley Outreach Charities (www.ccpvw.org/#/fellowship/mission-ministry).