Frances Shalene (Grannis) Beacom

Frances Shalene Grannis Beacom, a beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and cherished friend to many, died June 22, 2023, in Carlsbad, CA. Shalene was a longtime resident and active community member of both Watsonville and Mi-Wuk Village, CA.

?Shalene was born September 2, 1933, in San Pedro, CA to Henry and Agnes Grannis. Shalene was an avid reader since her youth. She also had a passion for dance and performed in many USO dance productions during the 1940s. After high school, Shalene attended what was then called Santa Barbara College of the University of California where she met James E. (Jim) Beacom of Soledad, CA. They eventually married on June 22, 1952 (yes, Shalene joined Jim in heaven on their 71st anniversary). After Jim's Army service, then graduate school at UCLA, the family moved to Watsonville, CA in 1959.?

While in Watsonville, Shalene worked at the Pajaro Valley Unified School District office and later joined the original staff of Renaissance High School as the principal's secretary from 1971-88. Shalene also taught Adult Ed typing classes for the district. Shalene was highly active in Watsonville, serving as PTA president at HA Hyde school and teaching Women's exercise and yoga at the YMCA (while also serving on the Board). Shalene was extremely creative, fashionable, and quite the seamstress. She sewed many of her children's clothes (keeping up with whatever fashion was in style), knitted blankets and sweaters for her grandchildren, painted, made pottery, and made sure to decorate the family home for each and every holiday, often with items she created by hand.?

Shalene and Jim retired to Mi-Wuk Village in 1994 and loved living in the mountains where they enjoyed skiing, traveling, and meeting a whole new community of friends. Shalene was known for her winning skills with board games as well as bridge, bunco, blackjack (in Reno) and bingo. Shalene served as President for the MiWuk/Sugar Pine Fire District Auxiliary Board where she made many lifelong friends. She also served as Secretary/Treasurer of the Twain Harte Golf Club. Shalene loved her years as a member of the Red Hat Society and the many colorful excursions with her group of friends.?

Shalene is survived by her children Jamie (Becky) Beacom of Palo Alto; John (Luann "Crunchy") Beacom of San Diego; Deanne (Dave) Brown of Irving, TX; her 8 grandchildren, Jeanne (Charlie Shaw), Jaime (Celeste), Jack, Mitchell, Sydney (Richard Kellett), Chelsea, Joey, Jacob and her 2 great-grandchildren, Rosemary and Henry. Shalene was predeceased by her daughter Denise (2009), her husband Jim (2017), and her brother Norman Grannis (2021).

Services are pending.

Published in The Pajaronian · July 19, 2023