Thoughts on Frank
written by Ron Kearney SE OR USA
To my falconry friends. I would like to take a moment to reflect upon the passing of a great falconer, and more importantly, a great man.
I would like to tell a little story of Frank Beebe, something few have heard before. Perhaps what I write will get others to remember the man and share some of their observations.
The first time I saw Frank in person was at a CHC Meet at either Yuba City or Los Banos. This would have occurred in the early 90s. He was invited to speak on his essay “The Hoax of the Century”. He delivered his presentation and all of it’s predictable controversy. I was moved by his passion and his
resolve to convey an idea, even in the midst of great disagreement. To my embarrassment, I noticed how he began to lose his audience; how private conversations began to develop in the audience. How so much of the audience
was disrespectfully ignoring his presentation with their loud talk and chuckling. Thank goodness the disrupters, at least half the audience, finally left the hall. Myself and 50 or so others remained to hear the conclusion of his thoughts. We approached Frank afterwards, and asked him pertinent questions about his ideas. He would talk to anyone that approached him. There was no shred of haughtiness in his manner. He spoke to anyone on a basis of intellectuality; not on what birds you bred or what quarry you had taken or who’s name you would drop; but rather, on what thoughts you had. And more importantly, he didn't’t seem to give a hoot about how much of his audience had shown disrespect, about how many of them had left before the conclusion of his presentation. He was unaffected by all that; truly
carrying the torch for his ideals, a thing he could not help but do.
In my younger years, I was even poorer than I am now. I had driven down to central CA in an old beat up 1972 Ford Pinto Wagon. That was my hawking rig at the time. I rebuilt the motor myself with the help of Pat Gray’s pit and
instruction. The car needed constant TLC mainly because of my ignorance of internal combustion engine timing, and perhaps a badly worn distributor. Anyway, I was in the process of gapping plugs and setting point gaps in the
parking lot at this CHC meet. I was all greasy from the work and worried about getting back home to Klamath Falls OR without having to get only 15 MPG; let alone my concerns with the late taken Prairie and the Cottrel bred
Brittany I had brought with me. But I heard a voice over my shoulder as I worked, “Can I give you a hand with that?” It was Frank and he obviously saw a vacuum of need and proceeded to fill it. We spent the next 45 minutes or so talking about timing engines. He helped me immensely and taught me about how a point gap ought to be about the width of a folded in half match book cover, and how a plug gap ought to be about the width of a match. It was a
wonderful experience to engage with him on a “grease monkey” level. He was every bit as thoughtful, and a good deal more gentle, than he was when he talked about ‘The Hoax” an hour earlier. But it was a short-lived engagement. From our location about 50 yards from the weathering area, we heard a rising commotion. Everyone was pointing and
looking upward at a Red-Tailed Hawk that was stroking higher and higher. It had jesses, swivel, and a 4 foot leash attached as it began to feel the invite of an irresistible thermal. I looked to Frank but he was gone. I swear I heard the sound of a ‘Whoosh’, like the over head passing of a wild
Merlin as it continues on down the ally you’re walking. But it was only Frank departing in a hurried manner. I didn’t even know where he was going. But he reappeared with a lure stooping pole and one of his flapping lures. He swung it vigorously and tried to get the attention of the soaring Red-Tail. He was right out in front of everyone trying in vain to get this bird back, a bird probably destined to die. I cant be certain, but I imagined the audience to snicker at Frank as they had done during his speech. Frank didn’t care or even notice; he continued to work the lure. The Red-Tail never responded, as it disappeared into the huge sky.
That was the last time I saw Frank, wildly swinging a lure to do the right thing; to do anything; something that might work, in the midst of people that could only detract, that could do nothing but ridicule.
For the last day or so, this has all come back to me. Frank’s death has impacted me in ways I can’t describe. I was lucky to have met him in a very brief meeting. I am left with this one thought. What if I had never met Frank? It wouldn’t have mattered, for he and Hal’s book was the first book I had purchased. It was as Al Ingram muses.....The Bible. It’s passages lit me on fire, and consoled me in my confusing adolescence. Even if I had never met the man, his impact on me would have been profound. I write this to encourage others to share not so much their loss, but their incredible gain in having known or read Frank L. Beebe.
Thank You,
Ron Kearney
SE OR USA
Hi, all.
Frank L. Beebe (1914- ), a falconer for more than 40 years started working with falcons in his youth. He's a leading researcher in Peale's peregrines and gyrfalcons, as well as a pioneer falcon breeder. He is author of many books over falconry & His books are must for every falconers out there.
The Compleat Falconer by Frank L. Beebe
A Falconry Manual by Frank L. Beebe
Hawks, Falcons, & Falconry by Frank L. Beebe
North American Falconry and Hunting Hawks by Frank Beebe and H. M. Webster
The Myth of the Vanishing Peregrine by Frank Beebe
The Hoax of the Century -The Endangered Falcon Scam by Frank Beebe
Just wanted all to know.
It is with much sadness that Mr.Frank Beebe
passed away yesterday at 5:30PM. He never really recovered from his last
stroke and has been slowly fading since. Klara says that he went very
peacefully.
It is an understatement to say that he had a large influence on North
American falconry; his influence was much wider and deeper than that!
If anyone would like to send flowers or money to the family, please send it
to:
Klara Beebe
4211 8th Ave.
Port Alberni, BC V9Y 4S5