An Appreciation: Louise Kiernan Beecy

June 22, 2018

Compiled by The Bedford Citizen

Louise Beecy, riding in a Bedford Day parade float – Courtesy image (c) 1986, with thanks to Fay Russo who found this in a Town Center scrapbook

One of Bedford’s beloved teachers and a longtime volunteer for the Town, Louise Beecy saw many changes during her time in Bedford and touched the hearts of many.

Mrs. Beecy became a Library Trustee in 1958 and oversaw some momentous changes, according to Dot Bergin who served with her until they both retired from the board in 1968.

The Library hired its first librarian, Sigrid Reddy, in 1962, then the Trustees lobbied the Town to enlarge the Library to meet the needs of Bedford’s rapidly-growing population. The Library moved to its present location on Mudge Way from the building that is now the Bedford Police Station in February 1968.

“Louise contributed greatly to our Board meetings,” recalled Dot Bergin.  “She was always well informed, knew the town and townspeople well, and had a dry wit that enlivened our meetings.”

Before the School Department offered public kindergarten, there were several private institutions in town, and Mrs. Beecy opened one of them, the Garden of Children, in her home on Concord Road. After it closed, she began her 16-year career as a teacher in the Bedford schools in 1963, according to Town records. Many Garden of Children students reconnected with Mrs. Beecy in middle school when she became their English teacher.

Ralph Hammond remembers Louise Beecy as one of Bedford’s best teachers, and one whom he sought to emulate in his own teaching career. He served on the board of the Bedford Teachers Union during the early 1970s when she was its president and the school budget was often hotly-debated. “The concept of Proposition 2 and a half was being explored in those early days, and the rising cost of education, especially special education, was not well understood. The entire school budget exceeded the one million dollar mark for the first time, and was heading toward an outrageous two million.”

After Center School closed in 1979, Mrs. Beecy became a member the Friends of Center School and joined the ad hoc Center School Study Committee in the early 1980s, ultimately becoming a board member for the non-profit organization that created what Bedford now knows as Town Center.

Mrs. Beecy served as the first chair of the Town Center board. Fay Russo added, “On September 21, of 1985 Louise gave the opening speech at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Town Center as part of that year’s Bedford Day.”

But Ralph Hammond probably said it best, “Louise certainly did touch the hearts of many. I always had great respect for Louise, and I think the reason was that she always seemed to have respect for me.”

For the record, Mrs. Beecy also served the town as a member of the Advisory Committee on Group Insurance, the By-Law Committee, and a task force to study Handicapped Access.

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