Obituary for Stephen F. R. Beekman

Stephen Frederic Robert Beekman passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on November 5, 2024. He was born in Liège, Belgium, in June 1946 to an American reverend, who served as a GI during WWII, and a Belgian nurse who volunteered to aid the American forces that liberated her city. Stephen was named after St. Stephen, his mother’s cousin Frederic, and his paternal uncle Bobby.

Stephen grew up in New York, Paris, and Rome. He graduated from Notre Dame International School in Rome in 1964 and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Grinnell College in Iowa in 1968. Following college, he returned to Rome to tutor children before he was drafted to serve in the Vietnam War. While on leave from the Military, he met his future wife, Daniele (Dany) Maury, at the beach in the South of France, where his parents had settled.

Following his service, Stephen and Dany moved to Summit, New Jersey, where he began his career at Chase Bank and obtained a Master’s in Business Administration at New York University’s Stern School of Business. Later, he joined Chemical Bank. In 1981, his career led the family to Geneva, Switzerland, where he headed Chemical Bank’s private banking and wealth management division in Europe. In 1987, choosing to keep his family in Switzerland, Stephen became the CFO for Gatoil, a Swiss-based oil company involved in refining, distribution, and trading. He later worked as a private banker at the Bank of New York, where he was instrumental in the bank’s purchase of Inter-Maritime Bank, leading to the establishment of BONY-IMB. He was responsible for expanding the bank’s business in emerging international markets in Russia and South America.

In Geneva, Stephen and Dany raised their two sons, Gerard and Philippe. Stephen cherished weekends skiing in the French Alps and spending time on Lake Geneva, where he loved taking his boat out for his sons to waterski, and crossing the lake to visit charming restaurants in France. He also enjoyed summers at Beekman Terrace, a beach house the family built on the Atlantic Coast of France.

Stephen was known for his quirky and mischievous sense of humor, often skirting the edge of propriety. A contrarian at heart, he enjoyed challenging ideas and exploring alternate perspectives, especially in politics.

While passionate about finance, Stephen was most proud of his achievements as a father. He raised his sons to be independent and resilient, taking pride in seeing them thrive in their careers and relationships. His generosity toward his sons was unconditional.

In 2008, Stephen returned to New Jersey to be closer to family. Always a passionate gastronome, he continued to find joy in dining out and spending time with loved ones.

Predeceased by his parents, Stephen is survived by his son Gerard and Gerard’s husband Michael Sean Kaminsky; his son Philippe and Philippe’s partner Shawn Hasting; his granddaughter Annabelle; and his step-grandchildren Alex, Sam, and Andrea. He also leaves behind his former wife, Dany; his sister Sabina and her husband Steve; his five nieces (including his goddaughter Sabina II) and their children.

As his last wish, Stephen chose to donate his brain to Columbia University’s Department of Neurology to support Parkinson’s Disease research–a disease he suffered from for more than 30 years. He requested no formal ceremony.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation in Stephen’s name at https://give.michaeljfox.org/….

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