Husband Julian Balfour Beecroft [5929]
Born: 19 Mar 1908 - Whitby, Mariposa, Ontario, Canada
Christened:
Died: 20 Jan 2008 - Perth, Drummond, Lanark, Ontario, Canada 1
Buried: 26 Jan 2008 - Port Hope Union Cemetery, Port Hope, Whitby, Ontario, Canada
FamilySearch ID: GHLV-LBM
Find A Grave ID: 184032347
Father: Frank Lloyd Beecroft [5884] (1868-1963)
Mother: Eva Gertrude Armour [5885] (1876-1945)
Marriage: 18 Oct 1931 - York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Marr. Status: Divorced in 1947
Events
• His obituary was published. Julian Beecroft
BEECROFT, Julian Balfour
Passed away at Perth Community Care Centre/Tayview Nursing Home on January 20, 2008 in his 100th year. Youngest son of the late Frank L. Beecroft and Eva G. Armour of Whitby, Julian was predeceased by his older brother Eric A. Beecroft of London Ontario in 2003 and his eldest son Eric Edmund of England in 2004. He is survived by his children Jane Beecroft of Bancroft, Norma Beecroft Turner of Orono, Stuart Beecroft of Toronto and Carolyn Allan of Whitby as well as 6 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. Mr. David Lee of Ottawa and Ms. Ella Lee of Whitby will also miss Julian as he was sponsor and surrogate father to them.
Born on March 19, 1908, Julian was schooled in Whitby and Toronto and became an extremely accomplished pianist by his early 20's, so much so that he received an invitation from George Gershwin to visit him in New York. This potentially great career ended tragically in a woodworking accident in which he lost 3 fingers. Extremely creative, he turned to manufacturing \endash first to boat building, photography equipment and furniture making, then to metal machining. He even built and operated the world's first wire and tape voice recorders in the late 1920s but failed to patent them in time. The Second World War saw him managing large machine shops in Barrie and Collingwood making many parts for the Mosquito fighter/bomber.
In 1931, he married Eleanor Norton of Toronto with whom he had 5 children. By 1947, the marriage collapsed and he returned to his father's home in Whitby where he set up a machine shop of his own. It was here that he gained the reputation of an exceptional designer, machinist and problem solver. He designed and built devices, control systems and manufacturing processes for GE Plastics, Wayne Pump Company, Ford Motor Company, Montreal Star, Andrew Antenna, NutriProducts, Pal-O-Pak Industries, and many others. He secured several patents on hydraulic control systems, one of which was used in the assembly of the ill-fated Avro Arrow.
In 1978, he relocated to Port Hope where he managed operations in the old Nicholson File Building. By 1984, he had moved to his property near Sharbot Lake where he lived until deteriorating health and encroaching blindness took him to the Perth Community Care Centre in Perth in 2005. Julian, a remarkable teacher, will be remembered for his amazing talent for "thinking outside the box" \endash able to solve almost any problem and devise methods for building anything, seldom charging enough to cover his costs. A gentle, thoughtful man, he was always generous with his time and willing to help anyone in need.
The family wishes to thank the staff of the Tayview Nursing Home in Perth for their gracious care of Julian in the last 3 years.
Friends will be received at the Allison Funeral Home, 103 Mill Street North, Port Hope on Saturday January 26, 2008 from 10 am until time of Funeral Service at 11 am. Interment, Port Hope Union Cemetery. If desired, memorial contributions may be made by cheque to the C.N.I.B. www.allisonfuneralhome.com.
• His obituary was published in the http://newsdurhamregion.com/news/whitby/article/93039 on 30 Jan 2008. Inventor Julian Beecroft dies at 99
Wed Jan 30, 2008
WHITBY -- The man who built the first tape voice recorder will not only be remembered for his inventions but also his strong character.
Julian Beecroft passed away Jan. 20 at the age of 99.
Mr. Beecroft attended school in Whitby as a boy before moving to Toronto. He was a talented pianist in his 20s, but a future in music ended when he lost three of his fingers in a woodworking accident.
After the accident, Mr. Beecroft became a manufacturer, constructing boats, furniture and photography equipment, then designing and building devices for Ford and other companies.
While in his 20s Mr. Beecroft manufactured the first tape recorders, but didn't patent them in time, leaving him without official credit for his invention.
"Julian was a brilliant pianist despite the loss of three fingers," said Evelyn Heaver, whose late husband, Bert, was friends with Mr. Beecroft. "He owned two most beautiful grand pianos and without a second thought had them shipped to the locations for the benefit of my husband's musical concerts, at no charge."
In 1931 Mr. Beecroft married Eleanor Norton of Toronto and the couple had five children. The marriage lasted until 1947 and after the couple divorced Mr. Beecroft moved back to Whitby into his father's home at Pine and Mary streets. It was demolished in 1976 and replaced with apartments.
"He was a most unusual and brilliant person and a touch eccentric," Ms. Heaver said. "This only endeared him to everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him."
In 1978 Mr. Beecroft moved to Port Perry, later living near Sharbot Lake. In 2005 he moved to Perth, where he lived his final years.
But friends say he will always be remembered for his considerate demeanour.
"Julian was a man who was not only a true gentleman but a truly gentle man," said friend and former co-worker Charles Rycroft.
• His obituary was published in the oshawathisweek.com/news/whitby/article/93039 on 30 Jan 2008. Inventor Julian Beecroft dies at 99
WHITBY -- The man who built the first tape voice recorder will not only be remembered for his inventions but also his strong character.
Julian Beecroft passed away Jan. 20 at the age of 99.
Mr. Beecroft attended school in Whitby as a boy before moving to Toronto. He was a talented pianist in his 20s, but a future in music ended when he lost three of his fingers in a woodworking accident.
After the accident, Mr. Beecroft became a manufacturer, constructing boats, furniture and photography equipment, then designing and building devices for Ford and other companies.
While in his 20s Mr. Beecroft manufactured the first tape recorders, but didn't patent them in time, leaving him without official credit for his invention.
"Julian was a brilliant pianist despite the loss of three fingers," said Evelyn Heaver, whose late husband, Bert, was friends with Mr. Beecroft. "He owned two most beautiful grand pianos and without a second thought had them shipped to the locations for the benefit of my husband's musical concerts, at no charge."
In 1931 Mr. Beecroft married Eleanor Norton of Toronto and the couple had five children. The marriage lasted until 1947 and after the couple divorced Mr. Beecroft moved back to Whitby into his father's home at Pine and Mary streets. It was demolished in 1976 and replaced with apartments.
"He was a most unusual and brilliant person and a touch eccentric," Ms. Heaver said. "This only endeared him to everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him."
In 1978 Mr. Beecroft moved to Port Perry, later living near Sharbot Lake. In 2005 he moved to Perth, where he lived his final years.
But friends say he will always be remembered for his considerate demeanour.
"Julian was a man who was not only a true gentleman but a truly gentle man," said friend and former co-worker Charles Rycroft.
• His obituary was published in the Toronto Star on 23 Jan 2008. Julian Beecroft
BEECROFT, Julian Balfour Passed away at Perth Community Care Centre/Tayview Nursing Home on January 20, 2008 in his 100th year. Youngest son of the late Frank L. Beecroft and Eva G. Armour of Whitby. Julian was predeceased by his older brother Eric A. Beecroft of London, Ontario in 2003 and his eldest son Eric Edmund of England in 2004. He is survived by his children Jane Beecroft of Bancroft, Norma Beecroft Turner of Orono, Stuart Beecroft of Toronto and Carolyn Allan of Whitby as well as 6 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. Mr. David Lee of Ottawa and Ms. Ella Lee of Whitby will also miss Julian as he was sponsor and surrogate father to them. Born on March 19, 1908, Julian was schooled in Whitby and Toronto and became an extremely accomplished pianist by his early 20's, so much so that he received an invitation from George Gershwin to visit him in New York. This potentially great career ended tragically in a woodworking accident in which he lost 3 fingers. Extremely creative, he turned to manufacturing - first to boat building, photography equipment and furniture making, then to metal machining. He even built and operated the world's first wire and tape voice recorders in the late 1920s but failed to patent them in time. The Second World War saw him managing large machine shops in Barrie and Collingwood making many parts for the Mosquito fighter/bomber. In 1931, he married Eleanor Norton of Toronto with whom he had 5 children. By 1947, the marriage collapsed and he returned to his father's home in Whitby where he set up a machine shop of his own. It was here that he gained the reputation of an exceptional designer, machinist and problem solver. He designed and built devices, control systems and manufacturing processes for GE Plastics, Wayne Pump Company, Ford Motor Company, Montreal Star, Andrew Antenna, NutriProducts, Pal-O-Pak Industries, and many others. He secured several patents on hydraulic control systems, one of which was used in the assembly of the ill-fated Avro Arrow. In 1978, he relocated to Port Hope where he managed operations in the old Nicholson File Building. By 1984, he had moved to his property near Sharbot Lake where he lived until deteriorating health and encroaching blindness took him to the Perth Community Care Centre in Perth in 2005. Julian, a remarkable teacher, will be remembered for his amazing talent for 'thinking outside the box' - able to solve almost any problem and devise methods for building anything, seldom charging enough to cover his costs. A gentle, thoughtful man, he was always generous with his time and willing to help anyone in need. The family wishes to thank the staff of the Tayview Nursing Home in Perth for their gracious care of Julian in the last 3 years. Friends will be received at the Allison Funeral Home, 103 Mill Street North, Port Hope on Saturday, January 26, 2008 from 10 a.m. until time of Funeral Service at 11 a.m. Interment, Port Hope Union Cemetery. If desired, memorial contributons may be made by cheque to the C.N.I.B. www.allisonfuneralhome.com
Published in the Toronto Star from January 23 to February 22, 2008
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Wife Eleanor Chambers Norton [5930] 2
Born: 8 Sep 1906 - London, Middlesex, Ontario, Canada 2
Christened:
Died: 20 Sep 2007 - Toronto, York, Ontario, Canada
Buried: 28 Sep 2007 - Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto, York, Ontario, Canada
FamilySearch ID: LL4R-NDK
Find A Grave ID: 71518208
Other Spouse: Charles Douglas Stewart 3 [18634] (1905-1972) - 1972 3
Events
• Her obituary was published. Eleanor Chambers Beecroft-Stewart (nee Norton) • Her obituary was published in the Toronto Star on 22 Sep 2007. BEECROFT-STEWART, Eleanor Chambers (nee Norton) According to the Toronto Star of January 23, 2008, Julian Balfour Beecroft (1908-2008) was schooled in Toronto and was an extremely accomplished pianist who received an invitation from George Gershwin to visit him in New York. Unfortunately Julian's piano career ended tragically in a woodworking accident in which he lost three fingers. Julian turned his creativity to boat building, photography equipment, furniture making and then metal machining. He built and operated the first wire and tape voice recorders in the late 1920s but failed to patent them in time.
eleanor-beecroft-stewartActress, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and lifetime inspiration, Eleanor Beecroft- Stewart died on September 20, 2007 in her 102nd year. Born in London, Ontario on September 8, 1906, she was the only child of Andrew Christie Norton and Eleanor May McLaughlin. Fond memories of her remarkable and graceful life will be carried by daughters Jane Beecroft of Bancroft, Norma Beecroft (late Dr. Ronald Turner) of Bowmanville, son Stuart Beecroft (Barbara) of Toronto, Carolyn Allan (Doug) of Whitby, and Dierdre, widow of her late son Eric (who died 2004 in England) as well as grandchildren Julian Beecroft (Ulla), Matthew Beecroft (Kate Davis), Deborah Kernohan (Dale) and John Allan (Jennifer), Amy Beecroft and Trevor Beecroft. Eleanor was proud great-grandmother to Taylor, Jordan, Amanda, Nicole, Michael, Greta, Sam and Lydia.
Eleanor will be sorely missed by her many friends and extended theatrical family. The family wishes to extend heartfelt gratitude for the affection and great medical and nursing care accorded her at Kensington Gardens nursing home.
Friends may visit at the Rosar-Morrison Funeral Home & Chapel, 467 Sherbourne Street (south of Wellesley) on Friday, September 28, 2007 from 6-9 p.m. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 29, 2007 at 11 a.m. There will be a reception at Toronto Performing Arts Lodge, 110 The Esplanade following interment at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Donations to the Performing Arts Lodges of Canada, 110 The Esplanade, Toronto, ON M5E 1X9 would be most appreciated by the family as your expression of sympathy.
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ELEANOR CHAMBERS BEECROFT-STEWART (nee NORTON) The final curtain has come down, the theatre is dark, Eleanor has made her final exit. Actress, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and lifetime inspiration, Eleanor Beecroft-Stewart died on September 20, 2007 in her 102nd year. Born in London, Ontario on September 8, 1906, she was the only child of Andrew Christie Norton and Eleanor May McLaughlin. Fond memories of her remarkable and graceful life will be carried by daughters Jane Beecroft of Bancroft, Nor ma Beecroft (late Dr. Ronald Turner) of Bowmanville, son Stuart Beecroft (Barbara) of Toronto, Carolyn Allan (Doug) of Whitby, and Dierdre, widow of her late son Eric (who died 2004 in England), as well as grandchildren Julian Beecroft (Ulla), Matthew Beecroft (Kate Davis), Deborah Kernohan (Dale) and John Allan (Jennifer), Amy Beecroft and Trevor Beecroft. Eleanor was a proud great-grandmother to Taylor, Jordan, Amanda, Nicole, Michael, Greta, Sam and Lydia. At the age of 5, her family moved to the Parkdale area of Toronto where she attended Parkdale Collegiate. From 1924 to 1928, she studied Moder n Languages at the University of Toronto while exploring a new interest in live theatre. Upon graduation, she worked briefly with her father in the T. Eaton Company. In 1931, she married Julian Beecroft of Whitby and began raising her family. That marriage ended in 1947 and in her early 40's, she set out to start a new career. She re-entered the world of theatre with the U. of T. Alumni Dramatic Club where she first produced and directed, then performed as she honed her acting talents. Blessed with looks, talent and a great memory, Eleanor soon became a sought-after performer and over the next 5 decades co-starred with a virtual Who's Who of Canadian talent. She particularly encouraged and supported new talent and became a theatrical mentor. As television expanded into Canada, she found herself in many programs, both dramatic and documentary. She also performed in several Hollywood theatrical films and movies-of-the-week. In 1972, she married the late Mr. Justice Charles D. Stewart who was a great supporter of her career. Regrettably, this marriage ended 5 months later with Mr. Stewart's untimely death. With the immeasurable inner strength that had helped get her through a life that was often cruel, she picked herself up and carried on with her career. She was a regular contributor to and supporter of many causes that she believed in. She took particular pride in being one of the founding committee members of the Performing Arts Lodges (PAL), an organization devoted to providing subsidized accommodation to those people in the arts. In fact, she became one of PAL Toronto's first residents in 1993. Although parts in mainstream theatre and television for older women were becoming fewer and farther between, she continued with in-house performances at PAL and at the Toronto Heliconian Club of which she was a long time member and past president. Her last erformance, at the age of 93, was an Allan Bennett monologue entitled A Cream Cracker Under the Settee , a 40 minute solo tragicomedy about an old woman who had fallen and was faced with the spectre of dying alone on the floor. Throughout this period, because of her irrepressible humour and performer's sensibilities, she became the darling of the media who frequently featured her in programs about the elderly and about PAL. Strangely, it was a fall and broken hip that drove her out of her beloved PAL in late 2004. She found a new home at Kensington Gardens Nursing Home where she spent the rest of her days. It was only in the last 2 or 3 months that she began to lose ground and eventually succumbed to the ravages of old age. Eleanor will be sorely missed by her many friends and extended theatrical family. The family wishes to extend heartfelt gratitude for the affection and great medical and nursing care accorded her at Kensington Gardens Nursing Home. Friends may visit at the Rosar-Morrison Funeral Home & Chapel, 467 Sherbourne Street (south of Wellesley) on Friday, September 28, 2007 from 6-9 p.m. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 29, 2007 at 11 a.m. There will be a reception at Toronto Performing Arts Lodge, 110 The Esplanade following interment at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Donations to the Performing Arts Lodges of Canada, 110 The Esplanade, Toronto, ON M5E 1X9 would be most appreciated by the family as your expression of sympathy.
Children
1 F Eleanor June Beecroft [17603]
Born: 16 Sep 1932 - Toronto, York, Ontario, Canada
Christened:
Died: 11 Oct 2021 - Toronto, York, Ontario, Canada
Buried: - Our Lady of Mercy Parish Cemetery, Bancroft, Hastings Co, Ontario, Canada
FamilySearch ID: G85P-9VJ
Find A Grave ID: 260215346
2 F Norma Marian Beecroft [5932]
Born: 11 Apr 1934 - Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
Christened:
Died: 19 Oct 2024 - Ontario, Canada
Buried:
FamilySearch ID: PWCW-CL5
Spouse: Dr. Ronald George Buchanan Turner MBChB, FRCS [8374] (1928-2005)
3 M Eric Edmund Beecroft [5933]
Born: 28 Sep 1935 4
Christened:
Died: 29 Apr 2004 - Chilcompton, Radstock, Somerset, England, United Kingdom 4
Buried:
FamilySearch ID: G85P-JRZ
Spouse: Dierdre/Dee [5936] (living)
4 M Charles Andrew Stuart Beecroft [5934] (details suppressed for this person)
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Barbara [8375] (living)
5 F Carolyn R Beecroft [5935]
Born: 23 Apr 1944
Christened:
Died: 15 Oct 2016
Buried: - Mount Lawn Memorial Gardens, Whitby, Durham, Ontario, Canada
FamilySearch ID: PWCW-D6N
Find A Grave ID: 268336963
Spouse: Doug Allan [8370] (living)
General Notes: Husband - Julian Balfour Beecroft