Gary Elwood Beers, a resident of Kittery for the past 40 years, passed away on June 6, 2025, after a period of declining health. His passing came just ten days after celebrating his 80th birthday. He was born in St. Croix, New Brunswick, in 1945, and six years later moved to Vanceboro, ME, a small community on the St. Croix River that remained near and dear to him throughout his life.

Gary lived a life of service, both in his professional life and in his devotion to the causes that mattered to him. After graduating from Vanceboro High School in 1963, he attended the U.S. Naval Academy Prep School in Annapolis, MD, and served for four years in the U.S. Navy before opting instead for a career in the U.S. Air Force. His Air Force tenure from 1967 to 1989 included tours of duty in Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Korea, Southeast Asia, and three years at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Belgium. Retiring as a Chief Master Sergeant – the highest level attainable for a non-commissioned officer – Gary earned numerous commendations, including four Air Force Commendation Medals, three Meritorious Service Medals, and 16 other awards and decorations.

Gary’s focus on civic life, volunteerism, and giving back to the community were reflected in the sheer volume of projects to which he devoted his energy and more than 27,000 hours of his time, primarily focused on the Town of Kittery and on military and veterans’ causes. In Kittery, Gary served on numerous boards and committees, including the School Committee, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Town Council, earning – and probably enjoying – a reputation as a curmudgeon, but also as someone who could work with people coming from different points of view to reach compromise in service of the greater good. Gary also served for 11 years as President of the Traip All-Sports Boosters, was the voice of the Traip Academy Rangers at football and basketball games, volunteered on five Project Graduations, and provided many years of support to the York County Special Olympics.

In recent years, Gary served as Sexton and Board of Directors Secretary for the Orchard Grove Cemetery in Kittery, spending countless hours combing through Maine genealogy and death records to develop a more accurate database of people buried in the cemetery dating back to the 1700s whose identities had been lost due to incomplete recordkeeping. Gary also played a pivotal role in preserving Wood Island Life Saving Station off of Fort Foster in Kittery Point, playing a vital role in securing the contracts that ensured the facility’s long-term viability.

In his hometown of Vanceboro, Gary was instrumental in creating a second honor roll plaque honoring those who served in various conflicts from 1945 to 2020, which was unveiled on Veterans Day in November 2021. Gary was perhaps most proud of his role as Project Administrator for the Thresher Memorial Flagpole and Circle of Honor project to honor the 129 crew members of the U.S.S. Thresher who perished in April 1963. Thousands of people now view the 129-foot flagpole at the Kittery traffic circle and a stone block with “USS Thresher” engraved on it daily, and it serves as a permanent memorial to those lost.

With the exception of his family, Gary’s greatest love by far was books, which he devoured by the handful. He also enjoyed fishing and would often head north to visit family and spend time on the water. Whether or not he caught any fish on these trips remains a subject of some debate. Gary had a keen sense of humor and loved a good Dad joke.

Gary was the devoted husband of Paulette (Averill) Beers, his wife of nearly 60 years. He leaves behind five children, Gayle (and John) Byrne of South Berwick, ME and their children Anna, Erin, Aidan, and Sarah; Barbra (and Chris) Childress of South Berwick, ME and their children Margaret (and Alex Bickerstaff), Matthew, and Mitchell; Jason (and Amy) Beers of Navarre, FL and their children Ashley, Kaitlyn, John, Jameson, and Charlotte; Rebecca Beers of Boise, ID and her children Griffin and Jillian; and Jared (and Jessica) Beers of Waterville, ME and their children Ruby and Violet. He is also survived by his siblings, Michael Beers of Lincoln, ME, Joanne Beaule of Manchester, NH, Terri Cummings of Passadumkeag, ME, and Corrine Bridges of St. Stephen, New Brunswick. He was predeceased by his brother, Butch Beers of Tewksbury, MA.