(John Beacco 1942 – 2023)

The Softer Side of John Beacco, Jr.

By Christopher James (Kip) Beacco

Over the years I’ve run into many people who, when learning my last name, are moved to mention John Beacco, the Stockbridge selectman, and/or the Monument Mountain social studies teacher they had back in high school. It is true that these lifelong pursuits define a large part of his character, and deservedly so. However, when I think of my Dad, other than an unwavering support of and love for his family, it is his enormous love of animals that stands out.

Many people may not be aware of the softer side of John Beacco. For my entire life I have been surrounded by dogs, cats, horses, goats, a donkey, chickens, a rooster, geese, ducks, and even a high school lab rat that needed a home for summer vacation one year. When he wasn’t teaching and inspiring young students or sitting in a town meeting trying with all his might to stop or slow the almighty wheel of progress, one could find him raking out his horse stalls, or wrapping his goats in their winter coats to stave off the shivers. You would never see him driving his pickup truck around town without at least one dog in the front seat, and often there would be two. 

John Beacco was the kind of guy who would not drive by a turtle in the road without stopping to help it cross safely. The kind of guy who refused to let his son return a rescue dog that proved too much to handle. In fact, at the age of 70+ years, he took that rescue dog in and raised and loved her like she was one of his own children. In fact, while I sat with him for the last two weeks of his life, as his speech slowed to one or two words at a time, one of the few things he called for was ‘Rodeo’. He had to be sure she didn’t miss her dinner, that she was safe and sound, and couldn’t jump the fence. I promised him she was safe at home, anxiously awaiting his return. I am extremely grateful to have brought him home for his last two days to rest comfortably, and more importantly, to be with Rodeo one last time. That meant the world to him, I am sure of it. 

Thank You, John Beacco

by Bruce Blair

The passing of John Beacco, long time Selectman and steward of Stockbridge, is a sad loss, but his words are still with us. They remind us that unfettered vision has become a rare gift, conservative values were once about conserving, that we must be a unified community, committed to Stockbridge, if we want it to stay Stockbridge.

In 1988, John wrote:

“Our town is one of many that decry the erosion of a dignified and caring way of life. As people witness the disappearance of open space, forests, and meadows, the words ‘greed’ and ‘avarice’ are often heard to account for undesirable change. Increasingly there is a consciousness that there is something wrong when developers are willing to impact the environment with expensive living quarters for part-time residents while others are denied a home. And to satisfy conspicuous consumption, unattractive strips of commercial venture are laid out and the Berkshires take another step toward environmental disaster.” 

In 1987, John wrote: 

“There is an indefinable something about Stockbridge that, through the years and even today with all the changes, keeps it recognizable as the ‘heaven’ so many have attributed to it. But as the Berkshires rapidly deteriorate, can Stockbridge keep its character; can it remain an oasis surrounded by fast-food places, commercial strips, and unregulated development? This then is an overriding concern of the representatives of the townspeople. It permeates many of the decisions of town boards.”

Thank you, John, for your years of service and the broadness of your vision, John, and bless you. You will be missed.

JOHN BEACCO: My Life-long Friend, Mentor, Coach, and Colleague

By Terry Flynn

Playing for Williams H.S., John was a dominant shooter in Berkshire County basketball, and a dominant pitcher, catcher, and hitter in baseball. He went on to catch for Amherst College and to coach our Championship Babe Ruth Team. He was the best coach I ever had-a true student and teacher of the game.

At Monument, John inspired both his students and colleagues to delve deeply into the past and present, to look carefully at the forces influencing human perception, to consider the implication of these forces for their own lives, and to respect and express their own sense of things. His life as an educator was shaped by both his powerful intellect and his empathy for and understanding of others. He deepened the way hundreds of students looked at life, and year after year, he found ways to lift students whom others were writing off, letting them know how much they mattered and how much potential they had.

John loved Stockbridge. He loved natural and human-made beauty. He valued frugality. He loved simplicity. He loved deep and honest thought; and, he brought courage, empathy, wisdom and practical judgement to his efforts to defend and nurture the aspects of life he loved. During his tenure, he connected with a wide variety of people in town, and his legacy is still protecting Stockbridge today. No other person in my lifetime has guided the town better than John.

John retired in 2001, and since then, he has sent me thousands of e-mails, covering a vast array of topics. Most were just a line or 2, and many just a word or 2, but they often produced continued conversation, as 2 best friends shared their worries and wisdom. We revisited Fromm, Koestler, Dostoevsky, and “For whom the Bell Tolls”. We traded lists of all the wonderful people we had known in town, looking at them warts and all, with gratitude, generosity, and humor. The true riches of our town. 

Early in 2023, John sent me a YouTube link to the Celtic Women singing “You Raise Me Up,” commenting: “They are beautiful in all aspects. Bring me balance.” I hope everyone reading this will go to this link and listen. This captures the essence of John’s e-mails to me: a 2-way street, as we lifted each other to our better selves. Click here to listen.

John Beacco
By Patrick White
As buzzwords go, one of my favorites is “giving back.” John never needed to give back, as he gave his entire life. He gave as valedictorian, as teacher, as coach, as leader, as father, as mentor. He lived a life writ large, a life of modesty, a life peppered with so much accomplishment because for him, to accomplish was the rule and not the exception. 
Running cross country for John often involved a ten-mile journey down Monument Valley Road, from the high school to 183 and back. We’d have to keep up, keep stride, match wits the entire run. It was cardio for the body as well as the mind, an hour amidst the bucolic beauty that is the Berkshires. It was, without question, the best part of those autumn days so long ago.
The word “virtue” comes from Latin, which originally meant the qualities desirable to be imbued within one’s character. Like the last page of a tale from the classics, John’s life has come to an end. May the memory of John long live on for his selfless devotion to the Town of Stockbridge.
Missing John
by Bob Jones, Chair, Lee Select Board
I had John as a Social Studies teacher in my senior year at Monument Mountain High School (MMRHS). As I was a genius at that time and knew everything, we were constantly butting heads and had a bit of an adversarial relationship.
Years later, when I started serving on Zoning Boards and, eventually on the Select Board in Lee, John would reach out, offering support and advice in his firm and almost unrelenting way. 
We had conversations as neighbors and colleagues and came to enjoy each other’s company. He is missed.