Dan Edward Beauchamp

Dan Edward Beauchamp

1937- 2024

Dan Beauchamp, former  Bisbee Mayor, college professor, health care professional, husband, father, brother and friend to many passed on June 1, 2024.

He was born in Marshall, Texas on September 6, 1937, to parents, Fay Hopson and Geneva Parish Beauchamp.  

Dan served as a Linguist studying at the Army Language School in Monterey, CA, and worked as an interpreter in Korea, following the Korean Conflict.  Upon separation, he worked in the Life Sciences Division of North American Rockwell, an aerospace company.    He studied at Johns Hopkins University where he earned his Master’s Degree and PhD in government studies.  

Dan taught graduate students at the School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, the University of Michigan School of Public Health, the University of New York at Albany, and the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona.  He was passionate about teaching and being a role model for his students stressing the importance of public health and ethics in our community and society.  His research and teaching interests focused on universal care, health care reform and the links between public health policy, community and democracy.  

In addition to teaching, Dan helped establish the School of  Public Health at Albany, which is affiliated with the New York State Department of Health, the only such public health school in the nation.   

He authored six books on the topic of public health, social justice, ethics, as well as many articles on those topics.   He also was an editor of the Encyclopedia of BioEthics.  One of his first articles during his time at Chapel Hill was Public Health as Social Justice, for which he received tenure.  During his career, he received several World Health Organization (WHO) fellowships to travel to European and Nordic countries to study their health care systems.    

Given his interest in and knowledge of health care reform, Dan was appointed Deputy Commissioner of Policy and Planning, under the direction of Dr. David Axelrod, (his hero), at the New York State Health Department.  He and his team developed a model for state health care reform called Universal New York Health Care (UNY*Care).  UNY*Care was a Single-Payer Strategy Linking Cost Control and Universal Access. The New England Journal of Medicine featured a Special Article written by Dan and his Deputy, Ron Rouse, describing the framework ofUniversal New York Health Care.   The article appeared on September 6, 1990, Dan’s birthday.

After retirement, Dan and  Carole  relocated to Bisbee, AZ.  Given his interest of public health issues, he decided with his extensive knowledge, he could facilitate funding of the then-failing sewer system and lack of public funding.  He successfully ran for Mayor, and during his four years, with the help of City Manager, Rob Yandow, city council, state and federal officials, they secured nearly $34 million to repair the wastewater system.  Dan always said that being mayor was one of the most rewarding and frustrating positions he had ever had.  He liked to refer to himself as the “Sewer Mayor.”

Dan had many interests, he was an award-winning race walker, a mean tennis player, a Tai Chi practitioner, and was devoted to exercise and fitness. He loved all food, especially Mexican food.   And he really had a fondness for Reese’s peanut butter cups, and Safeway’s Lemon loaf.  

Dan lived a wonderful, full life and will be greatly missed by all whose lives he touched.    

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Carole, daughter Valerie, brother Steve Beauchamp (Cristen).  

In Dan’s memory, donations may be made to the Bisbee Boys and Girls Club, the Bisbee Foundation or  Verhelst Recovery House.  

A private celebration of Dan’s life will be held at a later date to be determined.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dan Edward Beauchamp, please visit our floral store.