Family adopts Hampshire road in memory of son, cornea donor
Though John Beach's life was cut short at only 22 years of age after a motorcycle accident, the impact he had on family, friends and many others will live on for years to come.
John, or "John John" as his family called him, was always a rough-and-tumble guy. A classic man's man, his family says, who could fix anything with an engine. Growing up on acres of land in rural Sycamore, he always jumped at the chance to take advantage of the wilderness around him. John had a tremendous love for life, was never afraid to get his hands dirty, and spent most of his free time building motorcycles or working on cars. His two most prized possessions were the bike he built himself at 18 years old from buckets of parts provided by friends, and the 1965 Ford F100 truck given to him by his grandfather. Needless to say, John never missed an opportunity to go for a ride.
"John had great respect for people, especially those older than him, and for the beauty of old machinery," described John Beach Sr., his father. "He loved things that could be built and maintained by hand."
Despite his sometimes gruff exterior, however, John is also remembered for his softer side and charming, boyish smile. "He always saw the beauty in things," said his mom, Joy Beach. "He would stop and take pictures of sunsets, sunrises, windmills, flowers or even little birds in their nests. He was a good kid, a great kid."
John, the second of two children, was an integral part of the lives of numerous family members and friends. Most significant was the remarkable bond he shared with his older sister, Jes. The two were inseparable growing up, and were proud to call each other best friends.
When John passed away on Aug. 1, 2014 doing what he loved - riding his motorcycle - it came as no shock to his family that he was a registered eye, organ and tissue donor.
"He always gave of himself," said Joy. "If someone needed help, he was right there to lend a hand."
Knowing that John would have wanted to give of himself one last time gave his family great comfort when the moment came to move forward with donation.
"There is so much good you can do, even after you're gone, by being a donor," Joy expressed. "Saying yes was the easy and right thing for us to do. I miss him every day, but he's working in others' lives now and that's what he would have wanted."
After his passing, John was able to give the most incredible gifts: sight and life. He saved six lives through the donation of his heart, pancreas, lungs, liver and kidneys, and helped many more with tissue donation. In addition, he gave an Ohio man a second chance at sight through corneal donation, facilitated by Chicago's charitable eye bank, Eversight Illinois.
"Without selfless individuals like John, thousands of people would be left in a world of darkness each year," said Diane Hollingsworth, executive director of Eversight Illinois. "Our organization's mission of restoring sight through corneal transplantation is made possible thanks to such generous donors."
Now, John is remembered for changing many people's lives through the gifts of sight, life and mobility. To honor this ultimate act of kindness, John's family officially adopted Allen Road, where his accident took place, in his name and memory.
The Beach family held their first of many cleanups on the John A. Beach II Memorial Highway in Hampshire on May 31. "We will have a cleanup twice each year," Joy shared. "This one was a very special event because it was the first, and more than 75 people came in droves to help."
It was an incredible sight as numerous family members, friends and volunteers joined together in memory of the 2010 Burlington Central graduate. In addition to cleaning their stretch of the road, everyone also enjoyed four-wheelers, barbecue, games and music.
"It was so amazing to see the compassion that everyone had for John," Joy said. "We laughed and shared stories about John, so it was a very memorable day for all of us."
The entire event was a moving and meaningful illustration of just how many people were touched by John in his 22 years of life. Participants also sported green "Donate Life" bracelets to show their support of donation, and to thank John for his final selfless act. The Beach family and countless friends are already looking forward to the second cleanup scheduled to take place in early fall.
"I think the fact that John was an eye, organ and tissue donor made people love him even more," said Joy. "Knowing that he did that is a reminder every day that his life made a difference."
Eversight Illinois is a charitable, nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of sight. They recover, evaluate and distribute eye tissue for transplantation, as well as research and education. In addition, they provide tissue that helps researchers develop treatments and cures for blinding eye conditions by funding research, and they work to educate others about eye donation and corneal transplantation. Its mission is accomplished through the generosity of eye donors and their families, volunteers and charitable contributions. For information, visit Eversight Illinois online at www.eversightvision.org/illinois or call (312) 469-5516.