Westmont Magazine Meet the Beebes
Gayle Beebe may be president of Westmont, but that title doesn’t impress his children. “He’s not known as president at home,” says his wife, Pam. A man who truly enjoys spending time with his family, Gayle readily joins in favorite Beebe activities such as playing basketball, Scrabble and pinochle. When explaining why he took the job at Westmont, he mentions the lure of Santa Barbara’s spectacular coastline. “Gayle loves the sun and the beach,” Pam says. So does the rest of the family, especially boogie boarding at East Beach.
Anyone who listens to Gayle realizes that he loves to read great works of literature. But he also enjoys a round of golf and follows favorite sports teams avidly. Coffee is practically an obsession; he installed a Starbuck’s in the library at Spring Arbor University. Outgoing and affable, he always appreciates a good joke.
Gayle, Pam and their three children have settled into the president’s house at the top of campus and into their new life in Santa Barbara.
Anna, a ninth grader, is a reader like her father and a serious student who aspires to teach elementary school. She cites traveling to Prague with Gayle as the best experience of her life. A musician who plays the violin and clarinet, she also loves scrapbooking and stamping and enjoys a good game of tennis. According to Pam, she serves as chief babysitter.
Elizabeth — who prefers to be called Lizzy — loves all sports and plays soccer and basketball. Her goal in life is to host her own cooking show on television someday. Fortunately for Pam, she sometimes prepares food for the family. The seventh grader’s favorite activities include shopping and spending time with friends — and swimming with the dolphins at Discovery Cove.
Despite the culinary creations of his sister, Ricky prefers to eat cold cereal and cheese pizza. He hopes to be a geologist one day and travel to Iceland. For now, he’s in third grade and plays basketball, baseball and tennis. All kinds of technology intrigue him, and he got a thrill out of attending the second game of the 2006 World Series.
Pam shares her husband’s sense of humor and devotion to their family. A former middle school math teacher, she loves to spend time with friends and extended family. One day she hopes to become a great cook — by taking lessons from her daughter! She seeks to serve God throughout her life and has found a ministry as a grief counselor. The new first lady at Westmont focuses on being the first lady at home.