A. Beecher Greenman age 84 founder of the national engineering firm Greenman Pedersen Inc. died at his home in Spruce Creek Florida on Wednesday January 19 2011 of natural causes. There will be a visitation with the family at Lohman Funeral Home Port Orange 1201 Dunlawton Ave Saturday January 22nd from 3:00 to 5:00 PM; followed by a funeral service at 5:00pm. A memorial service will be held in the spring in New York date and time to follow.

He was born February 21 1926 in Syracuse NY to the late Arthur Dewitt and Lena Churchill Greenman. He served in the US Naval Air Force during World War II and graduated from Babylon Village High School in 1945.

Mr. Greenman graduated from Clarkson University in 1950 with a Bachelors Degree in Engineering and then worked as a professional engineer for the NY State Department of Transportation.

On March 7th 1953 Beech married Elinore Hastings and moved to West Islip NY. He joined Lockwood Kessler & Bartlett in 1955 and six years later joined the Charles Sells Engineering Group where he quickly rose to the position of Long Island Branch Manager. He founded GPI in 1966 where Bert Pedersen joined shortly thereafter. GPI is now listed by ENR's as the 77th largest engineering firm nationwide. GPI is the 8th largest bridge engineering firm in the US and is working on most of the suspension bridges in the New York tri-state area.

Beech as Chief Executive Officer of GPI brought enthusiasm for design basics that began with the start of his career as a Unit Commander in the U.S Army Corps of Engineers. He was responsible for the construction of Army facilities including roads bridges buildings and railroads. His experience includes design of bridges viaducts and major highway construction projects and construction administration of major roads including the Long Island Expressway Northern and Southern State Parkways Sunrise Highway Meadowbrook Parkway and Route 81. He has provided municipalities with conceptual approaches and basic strategies of development relative to park/recreational area improvements erosion protection coastal engineering projects waterway improvements and storm water improvement.

He completed the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration's Owner/President Manager Program on his birthday in 1986 and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Clarkson University in 1993. He had served on the Clarkson University Board of Trustees for 20 years.

Beech has held an active role in supporting the efforts of environmental preservation groups by serving on the Great South Bay Advisory Board the American Shore and Beach preservation Association and the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society. Beech loved the south shore of Long Island and raised his family on Captree Island.

Beech is survived by his wife Elinore his children and their spouses Peter and Shane Greenman Steven Greenman Joseph and Allsion Greenman and Suzy and Phil Heilpern. He has ten grandchildren; Beecher and his wife Irina Jenny Julie Steven Chris Jenny and her husband Michael Florio Joe Laura Natalie and Jack Heilpern.