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Rick Beesley was the kind of dude you never forgot.
Whether you knew him as the 6-foot-4 towering bouncer with a soft spot for music and sunrises, the Stop & Shop night manager who fed the hungry without a second thought, or the football coach who left lifelong impacts on his players, the Port Jefferson Station father’s presence routinely loomed large.
Richard “Rick” Beesley died Tuesday, June 10, after a sudden and aggressive battle with stomach and liver cancer. Known as “Bees” to many, he was 65 years old.
A celebration of his life will be held Saturday, June 14, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Bryant Funeral Home, 411 Old Town Road in East Setauket.
Described as a “6-foot-4 teddy bear,” Beesley was known for his warmth, sense of humor and unwavering loyalty to friends and family. His love for community and connection ran deep — evident in the countless lives he touched during his years as a supermarket manager, a mentor on the football field, and a presence at such ’80s local nightclubs as Neptunes in Hampton Bays and Levels on Route 112 in Medford.
His father, Edward Deitch Jr., a longtime and well-loved high school science teacher in the Smithtown Central School District, seemingly passed on a spirit of generosity and dedication to others.
On May 3, Beesley was diagnosed with Stage 4 stomach and liver cancer. What he thought were symptoms of a hiatal hernia turned out to be far more serious.
Less than two weeks later, after receiving his first chemotherapy treatment, he went into cardiac arrest and was hospitalized at Northwell Health’s Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson. He remained largely unresponsive in the facility’s intensive care unit for over two weeks.
Support flows in from the community
The shock of his diagnosis — and the speed of decline in health — left his family reeling with little time to prepare for the mounting medical costs. His sister, Michelle Deitch, has launched a GoFundMe effort to help offset expenses from his hospital stay, doctor visits, treatment and now funeral costs.
As of Thursday afternoon, the GoFundMe page had raised nearly $25,000 from more than 150 contributors.
Unforgettable
“Rick is a unique character, a ‘larger than life’ personality that fills a room when he enters it,” Deitch wrote. “The party starts when Rick gets there. He loves a good time and cherishes the people he calls friends.”
She recalled how her brother would buy food and hot coffee for homeless individuals lingering outside the stores where he worked overnight. A man of contrasts, Deitch described him as “imposing until you get to know him.”
“Once you met Rick, you never forgot him,” she wrote.
A 1976 graduate of Connetquot High School who played football at Nassau Community College, Beesley in recent years was known to share photos of flowers and sunrises on Facebook. His sister said he spent countless evenings by his backyard chimenea with music playing from his extensive collection.
