George McBeth built a career in construction starting as an apprentice on the McDonald Mansion, Santa Rosas premier residence. He was the lead hunting and fishing adventurer in his tight-knit family. And he lived his belief that every act needed to be done with integrity.
That included abalone diving, which McBeth, 56, pursued with a passion for decades on the Sonoma Coast.
The Santa Rosa building contractor died Saturday while abalone diving with a friend off Timber Cove. About 150 yards from shore, McBeth had plucked one abalone when he surfaced and suffered a medical emergency his family believes was a heart attack stemming from a pre-existing condition.
The death is the sixth involving an abalone diver on the North Coast this season.
The loss has rocked McBeths family. Tuesday they described him as a strong abalone diver who had gotten so proficient at the sport that he took special pleasure in hunting for the more elusive trophy mollusks of 10-inches across or larger. Such abalone are most often found in 35 or 40 feet of water, requiring a deep, long dive.
He really was in a league of his own, said his brother, James McBeth of Santa Rosa.
George McBeths wife, Lorie McBeth, called her husband the love of her life and said his enthusiasm for the sport was indicative of how he embraced his life. His spirit was always about that adventure, she said, sitting in the couples home off Brush Creek Road with their three grown sons, all near-replicas of their burly father.
George did in a year what people did in a lifetime and he did that every year, said James McBeth.
George McBeth, raised in Sonoma County and a Piner High School graduate, knew the Sonoma Coast and its sheltered dive spots. He was enthralled by the hunt for shellfish as much as the scenery above and below the surface, family members said.
The veteran abalone hunter also was aware of the perils involved in the sport, ranging from variable ocean conditions to medical emergencies that occur in the water. Fifty divers have died in pursuit of abalone on the Sonoma and Mendocino coasts in the past 10 years. The toll includes mostly people from outside the North Coast, and it often involves divers who chose to ignore warnings about entering the surf on a rough day.
It was calm Saturday at Timber Cove, a good day for diving, said a fire official who responded to the emergency call.
McBeth had suffered a heart attack more than a decade ago while diving but for years he had been in good health and resumed the sport.
It wasnt a diving accident, Lorie McBeth said. He had a heart condition. He was one of the strongest divers on the California Coast.
Born in Salinas, George McBeth and his family moved to west Santa Rosa in 1966. He and his three brothers attended Monroe Elementary, and he was in the first class at Comstock Junior High. He graduated in 1977 from Piner, where he was a highly regarded prep sports athlete in football and track.
James McBeth said his brother realized at a young age that he wanted to be a builder and, at 18, began working with a contractor his family called a craftsman. When the man began working at the McDonald Mansion, McBeth worked alongside him. It was that experience and mentorship that helped him later start and grow McBeth Construction into an incorporated business known for its high-end work, including custom projects that, at times, involved multimillion-dollar Bay Area homes.
George McBeth was part of two tightly bonded trios the eldest of a three brothers and a father to three sons.
McBeths sons all worked with him over the years. His eldest son, Codey McBeth, 28, had become a partner and said he would continue the family business.
His youngest brother, Douglas McBeth, who lives in New Jersey, said on the morning of the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City he was at work in a building next to the twin towers. When the first plane struck he said he called his big brother George, who he knew would be up early as usual out in California.
George then picked up a second phone and called James, and the elder brother held the two lines while the trio lived through the horrendous event. The three of us were connected, Douglas said.
McBeths sons, Codey and twins Taylor and Dylan, 23, on Tuesday shared memories of their father. Taylor serves in the Navy, stationed in Virginia on the USS Barry, and Dylan lives and works in Texas.
Pausing at times to hold back tears, they recalled many years of family trips centered on the outdoors. Their father was funny and enjoyed having a good time, they said, but he also taught them to be humble and honest.
His message was You need to do good every day, you give back, said Lorie McBeth.
George McBeth coached his sons in Little League baseball and volunteered on construction projects for their schools, helping put in stadium lights for the Maria Carrillo High School football field.
He belonged to a local group called Fathers, Sons and Buddies, made up of fans of hunting, fishing and golf. The group helps expose children who otherwise wouldnt have the chance to enjoy outdoor opportunities, including annual fishing derbies. It takes clothing each year to families in Mexico where the members fish.
Lorie McBeth said she was overwhelmed with messages of support and condolence in the days after her husbands death. They came from old high school classmates, clients and current friends who let her know how he had touched their lives.
Douglas McBeth said his brother had a knack for relating to all kinds of people, from the titans whose homes he built to everyday folks who were down on their luck.
People really liked and respected him from all walks of life, he said.
In addition to his wife, sons and brothers, George McBeth is survived by his mother, Julia Korpela of Santa Rosa.
A celebration of his life will be held at 2 p.m. June 27 at the Scottish Rite Temple, 600 Acacia Lane, in Santa Rosa.
You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 521-5412 or
randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com or on Twitter@rossmannreport.
