Nellie Ruth Beam

Nellie (Nell) Ruth Beam passed away on March 11, 2026, at the age of 84, surrounded by her loving family. Born to George and Iva Brown Hoffman, she married Robert S. Davis Jr. in 1957. His Navy career took the family to many places as they raised a son and two daughters together. In 1972 they settled in Vermont, where they built a log cabin that became their home for many years until their divorce.

Nell later met the love of her life, Forrest “Woody” Beam, at a local dance hall. They married after a few years and together owned and operated Beams Market and later Liberty Street Market in Fair Haven, Vermont. The couple created a warm and welcoming home on Lake Hortonia, where family gathered for holidays and special occasions. Nell poured her heart into home-cooked meals and beautifully decorated desserts, transforming their house into a magical place for her grandchildren. Summers were spent boating and fishing, while winters brought ice fishing and skating, making their home the beloved family hub for decades.

After retiring, Nell and Woody moved to northern North Carolina to escape the Vermont winters and be closer to her sister in Virginia Beach. Following Woody’s passing in 2016, Nell returned to Vermont to live near her children.

She is survived by her daughters Vickie Burditt (Eric) and Tammy Golfin (Gary), grandchildren Eric Grenier, Leanne Haas (Fred), Kayla Turner (Stephanie), John Burditt, Grant Reynolds (and his daughter Leaha and girlfriend Morgan), great-grandchildren Eric “Bub” Grenier and Natalia Grenier, her beloved sister Betty Bryan of Virginia Beach, many special nieces and nephews, and stepchildren Jaqueline, Andy, and Jayson Beam. She was predeceased by her parents, her son Robert Terry Davis, husband Forrest Beam, former husband Robert S. Davis, great-grandson Mason Grenier, and brothers George, Buddy, Bobby, and Butch.