Perry Beaton remembered as a true gentleman and a great friend

By Gordon Lambie
Perry Beaton remembered as a true gentleman and a great friend
Perry Beaton in 2020. (Photo : Gordon Lambie)

Following the news, over the weekend, of the death of long-time Record photographer Perry Beaton, people from all walks of life have been remembering him as a dedicated professional and a good friend.
“Above all, he was a gentleman, kind and generous with his time and knowledge,” reflected Record Publisher Sharon McCully, looking back on roughly three decades of working together. “He chauffeured dozens of Record interns to assignments in his little red car with his bass in the backseat and snacks in the dash. Interns often came without a vehicle, so Perry was their ride and their mentor. He knew everyone and everyone knew him. If a reporter arrived with Perry, they were always welcomed.”
McCully described Beaton as someone who was both cool under pressure and just plain good at the work that he did.
“In the early days film was developed in the darkroom, a time-consuming process that brought a lot of anxiety on deadline, especially on election night. Perry would very casually walk in with a bag full of film, calmly go into the darkroom and emerge a few minutes later holding a filmstrip and a hair dryer and say ‘All good,’” she shared. “On a good day he would come back with 30-40 shots to choose from, always with a few gems on the roll – an umbrella turned inside out, a dog with a chew toy or rosy cheeked baby in a stroller at a protest.”
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