BECKWITH, "Skip" Charles Frederick Pearson

“For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length - and there I travel looking, looking breathlessly.” -Carlos Castaneda, “The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge” Acoustic bassist, pianist, arranger, composer, jazz educator Skip (Charles Frederick Pearson) Beckwith died suddenly on July 31 in Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital in Lunenburg. Arrangements entrusted to Dana L. Sweeny Funeral Home and cremation has taken place. No funeral. A wake/ celebration of his life is planned for a later date. Born October 1, 1939 in Sydney, Skip was the son of Dr. Charles J. W. and Hazel (Pearson) Beckwith. He is survived by his wife Katherine Claire Shaw Beckwith; son Benjamin (Jill Phillips), Vancouver, BC; mother-in-law Sylvia Shaw (Lunenburg); brother-in-law Bob Shaw (Anne), Bedford; sister-in-law Dianne Shaw-MacAdam (Marc Pilon), Montreal, QC; nieces Wendy Driscoll (Tom), Dartmouth; Karen Carter (Travis), Terris, BC; Bhreagh MacAdam (Trent Tingley), and nephew Connor MacAdam, Halifax. Besides his parents, he was pre-deceased by his beloved Morgan horse best friend of 33 years, “Our Mora”, and several beloved cats and dogs. The family would like to thank Dr. Beaton and the extraordinary and compassionate people of the ALC teams at FMH who truly care, and treat their patients as if they were their own family members. Deep gratitude is extended to Cindy, Edna, Julie, Dawn, and the others who encouraged Skip to play his keyboard in his room every day. You will never know how much that meant. Claire would like to thank Edna, Cindy and Dawn for their heart-felt personal support, and Julie for being with Skip and playing Miles Davis’s “Kind of Blue” CD for him while he transitioned. Nothing could have been more appropriate for the ending of the lifetime of a true Jazzman. Skip loved this beautiful planet and all of its life, especially nature and the animals. He was a special man and a beautiful soul who is greatly missed by many, none more than his life partner, music partner and best friend Claire. To honour Skip’s life and his legacy, please be kind to the animals, to the Earth, and to each other. Practice random acts of kindness. Practice gratitude. It will come back to you one hundred fold. Full obituary www.sweenyfuneralhome.ca