Teaching Faith By Example

Bob Beach began teaching religion classes at Gilmour in 1991 after teaching at Cleveland Central Catholic. He has taught every level of religion from Middle School to Grade 12 and served as a basketball coach, campus minister, retreat leader, the leader of mission identity and a member of the senior leadership team.
 
No matter which age group he was working with, always knew that his students would be best served if he authentically and genuinely conveyed to them why his faith was important to him. He worked to help them understand why he continues his faith journey every day and why it makes sense to him. Mr. Beach knows that just reading and memorizing facts about the Church won’t have the same sort of impact. No matter a student’s faith background, he wanted them to understand that for each person, faith is ultimately what it is that you, individually, are concerned about.
 
And those lessons didn't go unnoticed. Throughout his career here, Mr. Beach has exposed thousands of students to the importance of faith. He even had a student who moved after her sophomore year and found him more than a decade later when her mom passed away and she wanted help planning a memorial service for her. These are the sorts of relationships he built here. Reflecting on his favorite thing about his time at Gilmour, Mr. Beach said, “Talk about belonging to a community and making an impact. I see our students here and they truly feel like they belong. We’re doing good stuff here.”
 
Asked about his advice for a brand new religion teacher, Mr. Beach said, “Teach to your strengths and don’t be afraid to try something new.”  He continued, “Remember that you’re teaching kids and the 15-year-old is not where you are on your faith journey. Know that you’re doing good work whether you see the results this minute or not.”
 
Mr. Beach is looking forward to the flexibility of retirement and being able to spend more time with his wife, Nora, who is also retiring this year; their two daughters, Hannah ’98 and Miriam ’99; their sons-in-law, Daniel and Ryan; and their five grandchildren. Mr. Beach looks forward to a Mediterranean cruise he and Nora have planned for next year. In the meantime, they have pledged to do “something special” once a month. They’ll kick that off by babyproofing their house in anticipation of a monthlong visit from Miriam and Ryan, and their three children, who are looking to escape the summer heat of Phoenix, where they live.
 
Asked whether his retirement was bittersweet, he said, “It’s really just sweet. It would only be bitter if I felt there was something I hadn’t yet done.” Mr. Beach, you have certainly left no stone unturned. Thank you for the incredible impact you have had on the faith lives of so many Gilmour students.
 
Earlier this year, on the eve of the feast of Holy Cross founder Basil Moreau, Mr. Beach was asked to share his thoughts on what it means to be a Holy Cross educator. His speech perfectly encapsulated what it means to be a part of the Gilmour Family, rooted in Holy Cross traditions. You can read his speech here. Enjoy!
Back

Mailing Address

34001 Cedar Road, Gates Mills, Ohio 44040
phone: (440) 473-8000

Campus Addresses
An independent, Catholic, coed, day and boarding school in the Holy Cross tradition. Toddler-Grade 12.