Mary Beam

Mary Jeanette Beam passed away at the Watermark Assisted Living Facility on Saturday, March 28, 2020. She was born in Cohay, MS but grew up in Summerland and Bovina, MS where she attended Culkin Academy High School in Vicksburg, MS. After being a military wife and raising four children with Dr. Robert M. Canady, she attended Miami Jacobs College in Dayton, OH and Pensacola Junior College completing training in Secretarial, Real Estate, Commercial Sales and Computer Processing skills.

Mary Jeanette is survived by her two daughters, Candace Frankland of Ft. Worth, TX, and Karen Washburn of Lenexa, KS and her two sons, Robert Canady of Ellicott City, MD and Ronald Canady of Ocean Springs, MS. She is also survived by 3 grandchildren ( James Scarcella and Paige Coltrera- Raleigh, NC and Valerie Sprague- Jacksonville, FL, along with 2 great-grandchildren ( Lillian and Eleanor Coltrera- Raleigh, NC).

Mary Jeanette is also survived by her sister, Nelma Allen of Jackson, MS and sister-in-law, Sue Gambrell, Taylorsville, MS. She was preceded in death by twin brothers, Donald and Doyle Gambrell, and sister, Judy Hicks.

While working as a civil service secretary at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH; and raising her two sons alone, she met and married Virgil Lamb, a local business owner. Tragically, within a short time, Virgil succumbed to a fatal stroke.

As fate would have it, Mary Jeanette met a past military acquaintance, Col. (Ret) James Beam, and after a short courtship, were married and lived outside of Dayton, OH for about a year. In 1979 they relocated to Pensacola Beach, FL and later, Gulf Breeze, FL. Mary Jeanette and Jim (Seal) spent 18 years together before he passed away in 1996.

In 2000, Mary Jeanette was introduced to Donald Wood of Navarre, FL. They became life-long friends, having shared the last 20 years together.

Final plans have not been completed but a memorial service will be held at the Navarre Presbyterian Church in the near future with a family graveside service in Vicksburg, MS at a later date.