LEWISTON, Maine — Dan Beazley thinks of himself as God’s EMT. On call 24/7, when the Big Man calls, Beazley doesn’t give it a second thought.
“I just go,” he said.
So it was, Saturday morning, when Beazley woke up before dawn at his home in Detroit, Michigan. Feeling the call in his heart, he loaded a 10-foot, 65-pound, wooden cross into the back of his white, Ford F150 pickup truck and started driving east.
By Sunday night, the 60-something Beazley was standing sentry with his cross outside Schemengees Bar and Grille, praying with ad hoc groups of mourners, trying to help them make sense of last week’s mass shootings and jumpstart their healing process.
A real estate broker by trade, Beazley crisscrosses the country, bringing his gentle demeanor and homemade Christian symbol of faith and sacrifice to disasters and tragedies. So far, he’s visited 25 states since 2021. Beazley has been to many mass shooting sites including those in Uvalde, Chicago, Buffalo and Memphis.
But before Sunday, he’d never had to set foot in Maine.
Beazley said God’s calling never comes in the form of words or formal directives. It’s more a feeling in his heart.
“When I start to cry, watching the news, sitting in my family room, which I don’t often do, I know God’s convinced me,” he said. “And this time, God said, ‘You gotta go man.’”
Though driving all night, then standing beside the road is physically taxing, it’s work Beazley is grateful to bear. He reckons it’s better and more useful than sitting at home. Beazley said his giant cross acts like a kind of signpost or beacon, reminding believers that a higher power cares about them.
The cross also usually draws the faithful straight to Beazley.Just before 10 p.m. on Sunday, a small group of locals were gathered in front of Schemengees, where a makeshift shrine of photographs, candles, flowers and pumpkins was beginning to take shape. Though many were strangers to each other, and none knew Beazley, he soon had them gathered in group prayer, everyone’s arms around their neighbor.
Ronald G. Morin, 55; “He was just always smiling, happy. Just one of those people that if you are having a bad day, he was going to make your day better just by his presence.”
Peyton Brewer-Ross, 40; “He loved — and I mean loved — working with all of his crew [at the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local S6]. Along with loving Rachel and [his daughter] Elle he loved to play cornhole — he was doing something he loved when he was taken way too young.”
Joshua A. Seal, 36; “Not only was he an amazing father, he was a wonderful husband, my best friend, and my soulmate. He loved his family and always put them first. That is what he will always be remembered for. We love and miss you so so much already, Joshua Alfred Seal.”
Joseph Lawrence Walker, 57; “He died as a hero.”
Arthur Fred Strout, 42; “A family-oriented man who made sure to provide everything for his family, and going through life without him will be hard.”
Bryan M. MacFarlane, 41; “I grew up in Maine and the deaf community is a tight-knit community.” MacFarlane was one of the first deaf people in Vermont to get his commercial trucking driver’s license, he loved riding his ATV and spending time with his dog, M&M.
Maxx A. Hathaway, 35; “I’m mostly heartbroken that he’s gone. [He] always had an uplifting attitude no matter what was going on. Nothing really prepares you for the sudden and shocking loss of a loved one, especially when it happens in such a tragedy.”
Stephen M. Vozzella, 45; “He brought excitement and a huge smile to the [New England Deaf Cornhole] community, and he will be missed on and off the courts.”
Thomas Ryan Conrad, 34; Conrad is survived by his 9-year-old daughter, The Guardian reported.
Michael R. Deslauriers II, 51; “Yes, he was a smart ass and would never miss an opportunity to crack a joke at someone else’s expense, but he would happily give you the shirt off his back,” Vicki Deslauriers Roy said Thursday, Oct. 26, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Jason Adam Walker, 51; “Jason did some amazing work, with Mike’s dad for the Sabattus Historical Society by capturing the personal stories of senior citizens in our community which are posted to our YouTube page over the past few years. He freely volunteered his time and expertise to our society to capture the history of our town.”
Tricia C. Asselin, 53; “Tricia is the type of person who would have done anything for children and anybody. If she liked you, she made you feel like you were in her inner circle.”
Aaron Young, 14; Aaron was described by his brother as a “man’s man,” a goofy “life of the party” — and his best friend. Aaron, an intelligent kid, idolized his dad and wanted to be just like him, the Los Angeles Times reported.
William “Bill” A. Young, 44; Bill Young’s children were “the most important thing to him,” his brother Rob Young said.
Robert E. Violette, 76; He was known as “Coach Bob” to numerous kids and families, and would “do anything for the kids and loved coaching them.”
Lucille M. Violette, 73; Pictured here with her husband, Bob. She was described as “one of the kindest people I have ever met,” in an interview by a friend with the Los Angeles Times. “Her smiling just a few days ago is the image I see when I close my eyes. That’s the memory we should carry with us.”
William “Billy” Frank Brackett, 48; “We lost four of our cherished community members in last night’s Lewiston shootings,” Karen Hopkins, executive director of the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing wrote of Billy after his death.
Keith D. Macneir, 54, was identified as one of 18 killed by an armed gunman in Lewiston on Wednesday.
Beazley prayed that they all find peace in their hearts, that the community continue to come closer together in the face of the tragedy and that those still in the hospital have speedy recoveries. He didn’t ask them for money, direct them to a website or tell them who to vote for next month.
At the end, most of the mourners gave Beazley a hug and thanked him. Several wiped away cathartic tears. He gave each person a tiny wooden cross made from an olive tree.
“I told them that if tomorrow or 10 days from now or whenever, if they start to feel things are going sideways, that they just hold on to it and just pray for God’s light to continue to shine on them,” Beazley said.
Eventually the group dispersed, leaving the Michigander standing on the lonely stretch of road, alone with the flickering candles and flowers. Beazley said he probably wouldn’t stand out in the cold till dawn, but his one-man vigil would likely continue a while longer, into the night.
“I’m here for however long God wants me,” Beazley said. “I’ll just be standing here, quietly, and just praying over the community. When folks show up, I’ll do whatever I can do to help them heal their hearts.”
