Jeffery D. Beecroft

Jeffery D. Beecroft of Great Falls, our cherished husband, father, and papa, passed away on July 6, 2023, following an incredibly difficult 7.5-month battle with Glioblastoma brain cancer. The concept of summarizing someone’s entire life within a few paragraphs is such a daunting expectation and really an inequity to the man that Jeff truly was. He was so much more, to so many people, than can possibly be put into words. This piece offers just a tiny glimpse into his legacy and hopefully gives his impactful life story the justice it deserves.

Jeff’s story began on July 16, 1962, in Great Falls, MT. He was born with a head of thick, curly black hair and an irresistible crooked smile. He was all boy, with a lion heart. Even from the young age of 5 years old, he recited often that he wanted to be a Police Officer when he grew up. He spent most of his childhood days being outside. Playing football in the snow, ice hockey, and baseball with the neighborhood crew were among his favorite past times. He was also quite the bicycle ramp architect, one time after scaling a massive self-constructed jump in the alleyway, he landed so hard he broke the front tire off of his bike!

Jeff’s love for the Oregon Coast was also first fostered as a young child. His dad was originally from Oregon, so many family trips to the beach ensued and the foundation was laid for a lifelong, soulful connection and tradition that has been passed down generations and lives on through his family to this day. Jeff completed his public education in Great Falls, first attending Chief Joseph Elementary School, followed by East Middle School, and finally graduating from Great Falls High School in 1980. It was late in his high school years he was introduced to the life of rodeo and the love of horses. His interest peaked and his admiration grew as he secured a job working as a ranch hand. He spent a lot of time riding, dabbled in some rodeo adventures of his own competing in bareback bronc riding, and dreamed of one day owning his own Palomino. Into early adulthood, he explored a couple other employment opportunities including working at Eli’s Records and Tapes which cultivated and catered to his love of music. He later worked in a security position at Shopko which again ignited his innate passion for law enforcement. He ultimately found his way to the Great Falls Police Department and was hired on April 20, 1989, wearing badge number 152, as an answer to his higher calling. Throughout Jeff’s 33 years of dedicated service with the GFPD, he served in a multitude of roles. After being promoted to Master Police Officer in October of 1994, he devoted several years as a support services housing officer. The foundational trust and relationships built during that time benefited the residents and community greatly. In November of 2002, Jeff was then promoted to Sergeant. It was during this time that he expanded his outreach and expertise as a police officer considerably. At varying times, he was an investigation supervisor in detectives, worked in street crimes and gangs, and held a position within HIDTA, a specialized narcotics task force. He was very closely involved in training programs at the Montana Law Enforcement Academy, along with presenting countless educational speeches to schools and students of all ages across Montana. Although Jeff enjoyed his time within these subspecialties, his true passion was “being on the streets.” So in October of 2012, he transitioned back to patrol where he remained until his retirement in June of 2022. Jeff’s law enforcement legacy perseveres within the thin blue line and the love and respect he had for his team and all his brothers and sisters in blue. He was passionate about his purpose and was a natural born leader. He was humble and level-headed and was recognized numerous times for service, commendation, and life-saving awards. Anyone who has met him or known him through his police work can attest to the impact he has had within our community over the years.

Though Jeff’s career was a huge part of who he was, it was not all that he was. He loved his family insurmountably. In 1983, Jeff providentially met the love of his life, Denice, whom he affectionately nicknamed “Georgie” (short for gorgeous). In a series of serendipitous events, including an underage Denice sneaking into the JBarT using her older sister’s ID, Jeff and Denice’s relationship blossomed into a 40-year love story. They were married on July 12, 1986, and cultivated a 36-year marriage together. They welcomed first, a daughter, Meaghan in 1987. The epitome of a daddy’s girl, she adored him, and he was wrapped around her finger from day one. They then welcomed a son, Ryan, in 1989. The boy he always wanted, Jeff pushed his son hard to succeed. He could not have been prouder of the boy he was and the man he became. Family memories over the years are countless and sacred. Jeff loved to travel and lived for vacations to “the land” and our Oregon Coast. He also yearned for the sunshine and heat of the desert, so there were many unforgettable trips to Las Vegas. He had even hoped to one day call Vegas his home. In his children’s younger days, he spent a lot of time traveling and supporting the kids on baseball, softball, and hockey trips. He also loved to go camping, which mostly consisted of him sitting by the fire, stargazing or lounging in the creek wearing his cowboy hat. Over the years upgrading from pop-up campers, to pull trailers, to finally their beloved motorhome his love for camping grew. He too had plans after Denice’s eventual retirement, to adventure across the country in their RV. As his children grew, and they had children of their own, his grandbabies gave him a new spark, purpose and meaning for life. His four granddaughters were quite literally the light of his life, and he proudly doted over each and every one of them. The most fulfilling role he played was that of Papa, and he was sure to tell everyone he met about his four beautiful girls. He would often say that he was most excited about retirement so that he could “spend time with the grandbabies” and looked forward to babysitting and going on adventures with them “while everyone else was at work.”

Losing Jeff has left a gaping hole in so many hearts, and he is sorely missed by his family, friends, and community. Jeff is survived by his wife, Denice Beecroft; daughter, Meaghan (Derek) Smith; son, Ryan (Jayme) Beecroft; granddaughters, Henley, Hattie, Hollyn, and Sophie; mother, Patty Beecroft; brother, Brian Beecroft; along with many dear aunts; uncles; cousins, and friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Norm Beecroft; grandparents, Joyce and Frank Anderson; his beloved great grandmother, Gertrude “Noni” Lucas; and countless other loved ones.

We would be honored for all to attend Jeff’s memorial service on Saturday September 16, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. at the University of Providence McLaughlin Center Gymnasium (1415 20th St S). In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to glioblastoma research at Huntsman Cancer Foundation in Jeff’s name. Contributions can be made online at http://hope.huntsmancancer.org or mailed to: Huntsman Cancer Foundation 500 Huntsman Way Salt Lake City, UT 84108