Chincoteague Island is mourning the death of former Beebe Ranch co-owner and pony history enthusiast Billy King Beebe, who passed away on May 24.
The Museum of Chincoteague Island shared the sad news in its most recent newsletter, which coincidentally came with a big update on fundraising for the renovation of the Beebe Ranch.
More about that will follow below after the news about Billy King Beebe.
‘Billy loved his family, his ponies and Chincoteague Island’
The museum also paid tribute to the late former co-owner of Beebe Ranch in a post on Facebook
“It is with the deepest of our hearts that we say goodbye to our dear friend, Billy King Beebe, who passed away on Friday. What started as a business relationship more than 25 years ago quickly became a friendship – how could it be otherwise with Billy?
“Billy loved his family, his ponies and Chincoteague Island dearly. He will be dearly missed. Thank you, Billy, for all you did for the museum, protecting the ranch and sharing your stories with thousands of visitors over the years your legacy will live on.”
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Fundraising update for the Beebe Ranch renovation
In addition to paying tribute to Billy King Beebe in its most recent newsletter, the Museum of Chincoteague Island provided an update on its plans to renovate the beloved Beebe Ranch.
Teams of volunteers from the Road Scholar program helped replace fencing and other tasks at the ranch this past winter and spring. The museum hopes to have them back in place this fall.
The renovation work included replacing the exterior cedar siding, adding a driveway to make the house accessible, installing a new entry, completing foundation work and addressing other important details. The museum said that once the renovation work is complete, it will begin planning new exhibits to be displayed at the ranch.
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How you can help support renovations at Beebe Ranch
Following an idea first put forth by Billy King Beebe, Suzanne Cox of Beach & Bead has created works of art from the shingles of the Beebe Ranch. Unique in size and color, each shingle for sale features a laser-cut image of the Beebe Ranch. Vintage signs and advertising were used as inspiration.
According to the museum, the artwork will be auctioned via an online auction that starts on July 14 and runs until July 26. The money raised will be reserved for the future construction of the barn. Visit the museum online for more information as the auction approaches.
This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Chincoteague mourns death of former Beebe Ranch co-owner Billy Beebe
