Yet another one bites the dust

[ccdjg]

I think it might be a bit presumptive to assume that Dr Robert Beeman the airgun guru is no longer with us. When I trawled the internet for more information, I found nothing that seemed to relate to him, but did find an obituary for a different Robert Beeman, who lived in Connecticut (as opposed to California), who died on August 25th I 2012. ( https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries...?pid=159481346) It seems too much of a coincidence that both would pass away on the same date. Also, I think that if our Robert Beeman had passed away, there would have been much more publicity.

Robert’s situation has been a mystery for the past 5 years. I was in regular email contact with him up to October 2016, when I had been helping him with some chemical analyses for his monumental Giradoni book. The book was just about to be published, and the last email I had from him said:

Dear John - Sorry to bother you once again about the green deposits within an ancient Girardoni air flask. ……………………………….. My health continues to fall, but I still get much more done than “they” expect- but a whole lot less than I want!
Warm regards,Robert

That was the last I heard from him, despite sending various emails afterwards. In 1919 I asked John Allen, Editor of the Bluebook of Airguns, if he knew of the state of health of Robert, and he confessed that he knew no more than I did. The Bluebook publisher had sent emails to him, but every time the replies came back from Robert’s wife Tosh.

I fear that Robert may be a very ill man, virtually incommunicado, and it may be premature to assume he has passed away. Unless of course anyone has more definite information. Whatever the situation, I think it is a tragedy that his Girandoni book, which he had worked so hard on, and which I was privileged to see a small part of, may never see the light of day.

[Garvin]

I think it might be a bit presumptive to assume that Dr Robert Beeman the airgun guru is no longer with us. When I trawled the internet for more information, I found nothing that seemed to relate to him, but did find an obituary for a different Robert Beeman, who lived in Connecticut (as opposed to California), who died on August 25th I 2012. ( https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries...?pid=159481346) It seems too much of a coincidence that both would pass away on the same date. Also, I think that if our Robert Beeman had passed away, there would have been much more publicity.

Robert’s situation has been a mystery for the past 5 years. I was in regular email contact with him up to October 2016, when I had been helping him with some chemical analyses for his monumental Giradoni book. The book was just about to be published, and the last email I had from him said:

Dear John - Sorry to bother you once again about the green deposits within an ancient Girardoni air flask. ……………………………….. My health continues to fall, but I still get much more done than “they” expect- but a whole lot less than I want!
Warm regards,Robert

That was the last I heard from him, despite sending various emails afterwards. In 1919 I asked John Allen, Editor of the Bluebook of Airguns, if he knew of the state of health of Robert, and he confessed that he knew no more than I did. The Bluebook publisher had sent emails to him, but every time the replies came back from Robert’s wife Tosh.

I fear that Robert may be a very ill man, virtually incommunicado, and it may be premature to assume he has passed away. Unless of course anyone has more definite information. Whatever the situation, I think it is a tragedy that his Girandoni book, which he had worked so hard on, and which I was privileged to see a small part of, may never see the light of day.

You are probably right, John. I also Googled for more information and found none, which is why I just linked to Tony's thread. I used to correspond with Robert Beeman back in the day soon after he had retired - he wanted me to go into central London and see if I could dig up any info on certain 18th century gunmakers IIRC! I respectfully declined.

[TonyL]

https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2021...bb-gun-part-1/

From the Pyramydairblog

[ccdjg]

https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2021...bb-gun-part-1/

From the Pyramydairblog

Thanks for that TonyL. I think we can accept the reliability of that particular source and accept that Robert Beeman, airgun expert, collector and promoter supreme, has sadly passed away. It would be nice to know if there is a formal obituary somewhere.

[TonyL]

Agreed, sir.

[micky2]

Thanks for that TonyL. I think we can accept the reliability of that particular source and accept that Robert Beeman, airgun expert, collector and promoter supreme, has sadly passed away. It would be nice to know if there is a formal obituary somewhere.

You would think that there would be something about his death in his local newspaper. just a thought.

[45flint]

You would think that there would be something about his death in his local newspaper. just a thought.

Pretty odd there is nothing over here I can find?

[WebleyWombler]

Pretty odd there is nothing over here I can find?

That's what I thought! As soon as Tony posted it up, I searched and could find nothing. Still can't. So to me, It's fake news until confirmed