To All of Beamer's Friends and Family:  you are invited to Beamer's residence at 135 Park Avenue in Glaucester City, NJ on Saturday, December 30, 2017, between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM, for the purpose of retrieving items of memorabilia that are important to you from his school, lifeguard, sailing and traveling days.  All are welcome, but please bring boxes/containers for your chosen items, and be prepared to remove them on that day.

On Nov. 13, 2017. Age 64. Of Gloucester City. Son of the late William A. Stancavage, Sr., Brother of William A. Stancavage, Jr., and uncle of William A. Stancavage, III. Survived by many dear friends.

Beamer was a graduate of Gloucester City High School class of 1972. He was a graduate of Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Maryland, and was a Merchant Marine. Beamer worked as a union pipe fitter and for many years was employed by the Philadelphia Naval Yard. During summers in the 1970s, Beamer worked as a lifeguard on the Wildwood Beach Patrol.  He was an avid Motocross rider, and also enjoyed photography, videography, camping, softball and a variety of other sports.  As a Merchant Marine, he traveled the globe for many decades, and would often remain in the nether regions of the world for extended periods after his ship duty was completed.  Notably, he worked for several years at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, and lived for a time in New Zealand.

Relatives and friends are invited to his visitation on Saturday, December 2nd 10 to 11 AM at St. Mary's R.C. Church, 426 Monmouth St., Gloucester City. Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11 AM in the church. Interment will be private.

Donations for a Robert Stancavage memorial plaque/bench, to be erected/installed in Wildwood, New Jersey, may be made payable to Perna and Abracht, LLC: P.O. Box 96, Kennett Square, PA 19348. Please  mark the memo portion of the check "Stancavage Memorial". Any excess funds will be donated to a Wildwood-area charity via the Wildwood Beach Patrol Alumni Association.

Condolences and Memories may be shared at www.mccannhealey.com under the obituary of Robert Stancavage.

Funeral Arrangements and Inquiries through:
McCANN-HEALEY
FUNERAL HOME
Gloucester City
Ph: 856-456-1142


Words of Remembrance from his friend, Michael Perna

There's no doubt Beamer lived an unconventional life, and there is a little less color in the world without him.

It was a life I was fortunate enough to step-into early-on, when we were Wildwood lifeguards in our late teens and early twenties, when, as the saying goes, we were old enough to know better but young enough to do it anyway.

I am sure there is no one in this room who doesn't have an arsenal of Beamer stories, stories outrageous in their daring, incredulity and humor, and I surely have many, but this is not the time to share them, because Beamer was much more than the sum total of his adventures.

I don't know many of you, but I know this: Beamer loved his friends. I did come to know some of you indirectly, though, solely through the stories he would tell about you—you who knew him before me, in grade school and high school, and after me, during his sailing, dirt bike, and California days. It was clear that no matter whether he spoke of you with fondness or at times with frustration, there was always a genuine underpinning of love—the way that blood brothers sometimes speak of each other even during trying times. "Brother"—that was his favorite word; he used it often, and always with great sincerity.

Beamer had great expectations of his friends, and seemed happiest when those expectations were met, and most despondent when they were not. He also tried, I believe, to live up to the expectations some of us had of him—and he did so in his own inimitable way.

Though he never married, had no children, and very little blood family, Beamer had his fair share of romantic relationships, one of which was life-defining—and I think you know who you are.

He also managed to assemble an impressive 'family' of friends. In my case, I'm not sure if we adopted Beamer or he adopted us, but he was truly a de facto member of our extended family, having been a welcome participant in many of our family's landmark events over the years, whether happy or sad. In fact, many times it seemed my relatives would be more excited to see him than me when he would suddenly appear from parts unknown and regale them with tall tales of the sea.

Beamer was always willing to lend a hand with various family projects, whether at my grandmother's yard sale, at pond clean-outs at my house, or just moving furniture as I and my siblings perennially re-located from one part of the country to another over the last 30 years. He was the videographer—and co-star—in many of our family's weddings, christenings, birthdays, graduations and anniversaries. He was a pall bearer at my father's funeral 25 years ago, and at my mother's funeral last Christmas. I think you get the picture.

Today, we are sad, on so many levels: that Beamer died at all, that he died during what I believe was a less happy period of his life, that he died alone, and that it took so long for those of us who were his friends to discover that he had died. I suppose it is a stark reminder that no matter how full our life has been, no matter how blessed or cursed, when we depart, it is a last adventure that must be embarked-upon alone. There is solace, though, in the realization that during the majority of his life, Beamer seemed content, and he lived on his own terms—as a wanderer, an adventurer, a free spirit, and a friend.

I will remember him as full of life, as eager to venture out, as garrulous, sometimes as frustrating, but always as generous of spirit. Above all, Beamer had a good heart—and an eager heart—which very well may be the best that can be said of anyone who has tread the earth.

Words of Remembrance from Beamer's friend, Jonathan

Though I have been to funerals before and had close friends and family die, I've never spoken at or written anything to be read at a funeral/memorial.  Hopefully this is not something I, nor anyone here today becomes especially adept at delivering.  I thought the best use of my time would be spent explaining what I would say to Beamer, were he still here today. First I would tell him what a great friend he was to Wayne.  I met Beamer when I was 6 or 7 years old. He would come to my little league baseball games and was witness to the baseball phenom I became.  He was tremendously supportive of Wayne as my coach, and always the most enthusiastic (loudest) cheerleader, even through our often winless seasons. Beamer was always there to help his "buddy" Wayne.  Whether it was building a deck for a friend or building the local liquor store, putting an addition on our house or conducting late-night post-Thanksgiving food inventories, you could always count on Beamer.  I would then tell him how much I enjoyed spending those Thanksgivings with him. We never saw much of Beamer, but he was a regular Thanksgiving guest.  We would speak to him a few weeks prior, possibly confirm his attendance, and hope that he arrived.  He always did.  Not to imply that he was late, but timing doesn't matter on holidays. Next I would tell him how much I, my Mom and Wayne valued his enthusiasm for everything that we had going on.  Any good news for you was good news for Beamer.  You could count on his genuine enthusiasm and pleasure from others' successes.  He was encouraging as I was growing up and playing baseball, paintball and skateboarding, supportive and encouraging throughout my (extended) stay at the University of Maryland, and enthusiastic about every success we've had since. I would finally tell him how much I miss him. We looked forward to every Thanksgiving, and counted on seeing him there.  We looked forward to his continued battle with our dog (he's a cat person), his dedication to monitoring (and reducing) the leftovers, and listening to his endless stories about all of his friends, for whom he cared so deeply. Beamer is a member of our family, and we all miss him so much.