Stone Establishes
Memorial for a Mentor

On December 31st, 2001, Stone's Science Research Team unexpectedly lost one of its finest members- Mr. Jay Beehler.

In September of this year, after a successful year-long battle with lung cancer, Mr. Beehler looked great and seemed his regular self. He had pretty much resumed his regular routine of substituting two to three times a week and working with the science research students on their backboards.

During the Winter Break, he had enjoyed a quiet restful time with his wife Barb. On December 30th, he complained of feeling weak and was admitted to the hospital for observation. The following day (New Years Eve) he passed away due to a heart attack.

Who was Jay Beehler?

Memorial Tree and Plaque for Mr. Jay Beehler

Jay and Barbara Beehler were business people that had a long affair with education. Barb was a former teacher, and Jay had served on school boards in Indiana before coming to Florida.

After they closed a breakfast/lunch restaurant venture across from Paradise Beach in Melbourne, they enjoyed their semi-retirement, substituting occasionally for teachers at Hoover and Stone Junior High.

"Good substitutes are very difficult to find," states former Honors Biology teacher, Gordon Shupe. "Substituting is one of the hardest jobs that there is in education, and when a teacher is out, it is very difficult to find someone who can implement lesson plans and manage student behavior."

"Jay and Barb became favorites of the administration and teaching staff at Stone and Hoover, because they were very effective- acting as educators, not just baby-sitters."

Mr. Beehler developed close relationships with the Science Department Chairman at Stone, Rich Regan and his wife Karen Regan (Gifted Science Instructor). He was always first on the list of requested subs for their classes.

When Mrs. Regan became pregnant, Mr. Beehler was the first one they turned to, hoping that he would finish Mrs. Regan's last two months of teaching her gifted science students. He agreed to do this and also became the fourth Science Research Sponsor- a position that he had already begun to earn as a regular substitute and after school volunteer.

The following year, the two of them shared that science position, each teaching half time. It was a unique situation that worked well for both of them. And from that point on, Mr. Beehler was a full member of the science research sponsors team, with preparing the student's backboards has his primary responsibility.