AUTOMOTIVE enthusiast Major (Ret’d) Victor Beek died at his St Andrew home last Sunday. He was 93.

His son, Dudley, confirmed the ex-serviceman’s passing.

“He died peacefully at home early hours of Sunday morning,” Beek told Jamaica Observer’s Auto magazine yesterday.

“He was supposed to have laid a wreath at the Cenotaph later that day.”

Beek said he is encouraged by the outpouring of support since the death of his father, who served as a pilot in the Royal Air Force during World War II.

“He loved life, aviation and motor cars,” said Beek, who also served the army for 38 years and is a flight instructor. “He was very pragmatic and always thought outside the box.”

Governor General Patrick Allen remembered Major Beek as “a distinguished Jamaican who gave outstanding service to his country and the Commonwealth”.

“It is with deep regret that I learnt of the passing of Major (Ret’d) Victor Beek,” said Allen.

“Major Beek, throughout a long and distinguished career, dedicated himself to serving his peers, particularly through the Royal Air Forces Association Jamaica 580 Branch, and the nation at large through his leadership in the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force. His commitment to both organisations is legendary and he will be sadly missed by the large number of persons whose lives he touched most closely,” he continued.

Major Beek was an avid collector of cars and was also an executive member of the Jamaica Classic Car Club (JCCC).

Shane Angus, JCCC president, said Beek brought a lot of experience to the group.

“He was a fun-loving person and kept the meetings in line. He would go out on a limb and fight for anything he felt the club deserved,” said Angus.

The JCCC founding member said Beek was a “great motivator, who stuck to protocol, while Past President Nigel McFarlane labelled him “an inspiration”.

“I was always impressed with his energy…he was full of energy and filled with WWII stories. He never missed a meeting.”

When US president Barack Obama visited in April, Beek was one of four ex-servicemen he awarded medals.

“I am really elated to have met him. My daughter in the States, when she heard that Obama was visiting [Jamaica], she said we don’t get a chance to meet him, so make sure you get a picture of the occasion,” he said at the time.

Major Beek is survived by two sons, a daughter and granchildren.

The funeral for Major Beek is scheduled for the Garrison Church at Up Park Camp in Kingston on Wednesday, November 30, at 10:00 am.

— Brian Bonitto