The Magic of Briny Breezes

A Tribute to Uncle Jay Beardslee and the Magic of Briny Breezes

Note from Lynn Thomas (founder and editor of Briny-Breezes.com Memories and Tribute Site)

On March 29, 2010, Shelly Ellison commented about the passing of her beloved Uncle Jay Beardslee:

“With great sadness in my heart, I now reflect on another great memory of Briny. My dear Uncle Jay passed away last week. He and my Grandfather Don Coir loved Briny with a passion rarely seen. Uncle Jay loved to play shuffleboard, he was also the President of Briny for a time. He loved to talk to me about the Pelicans by the boats. Both he and my Grandfather will be greatly missed. Briny is such a special place, I will never forget the magic Uncle Jay and Grandpa found here. I too know what a magical place this is. Thank You Briny Breezes!”

Upon receiving the above email, I asked Shelly for more information.

Shelly replied with photos and more information about her grandparents and her Uncle Jay and the Briny Breezes she knows and loves.

“Thank you so very much. And thank you for such a wonderful site!” ~ Shelly

Thank you Shelly for sharing your memories with us.  Won’t you share your Briny Breezes memories?

My Uncle Jay Beardslee was President of Briny Breezes in the 1980’s.

Every winter I’d get to see Aunt Grace and Uncle Jay. Aunt Grace was always making things in crafts; she’d say they weren’t that good and always give me something she made. (They were very good!)

Uncle Jay was the President (of Briny Breezes)  for a time; I loved to brag about that. He’d always talk to me about the pelicans at the inlet to Briny; he seemed to really like the pelicans.

Uncle Jay and Aunt Grace always had something sweet to eat at their trailer, and they had lots of friends. They played a mean Shuffleboard. I will miss Uncle Jay; he was a very smart man, and a loving Uncle.

My Grandpa -Donald Coir- spent all of his time with the Chiselers, talking to everyone, he did a lot of painting for Briny, and he was also big in the Art shop. He loved to paint. He used to drive my Gram crazy when it was time to come down to Briny. With special permission, we scattered his ashes in the ocean offshore. Gram still lives in Briny.

Grandma (Alma Coir) could always be found chatting with her friends or we for the matter in the late afternoon always had a cocktail and we sat watching the boats, talking about Briny, and enjoying every minute of each others company.

Aunt Billie (Wilma Fauble) was Grandma’s (Alma Coir) sister, she’d come down too, she loved to sit out in the sun with her cocktail; we’d all gravitate towards her. She was always in high spirits. We lost her not to long ago. Aunt D (Doris Hambacher) is also a big part of my memories with Briny, she is my favorite Aunt, comes down several times during the winter, she is my playmate. We swim, walk eat and hope our time in Briny lasts longer than a week.

Donald Coir; my beloved Grandfather and favorite person. His passing was very hard for me. Grandpa loved Briny so much. He drove Gram crazy when it was time to leave for Briny. Grandpa was involved with almost everything. He loved the Chiselers, and the Arts (Briny Breezes Crafts and Artists). He won 1st place for a painting he did of a Rabi. The painting was then donated to a museum in Bloomfield Hills, MI. The photo is Grandma (Alma Coir) and I (Shelly Ellison) in front of his prize winning painting. I was always proud of Grandpa.

Grandpa and I always tried to do things together; we golfed, and even took a boat out on the Intracoastal Waterway.  I will never forget my time with my Grandfather, he was always easy to find. Gram would send me out to look for him at lunch, you could find him in the streets chatting it up with his friends, and he really loved Briny. So much so that when he passed, Gram drove Grandpa’s ashes down to Briny and we got special permission to scatter Grandpa’s ashes in the waters off his beloved Briny. So now when my mom and I walk the beach or we sit in the sun I know Grandpa is with us, sharing the magic of Briny. I see him in everything Briny has.

George and Florence Coir, came to buy in Briny in 1954. I remember the trailer being very hot! Grandpa George loved to show us the tiny lizards, my early memories of them are sunburns and laughter, sunshine and family. They started it all for us, for them I am forever grateful. They brought Briny into our lives. For me that’s when the magic began.

Delta, a Therapy Dog, enjoys Briny Breezes as well — pictured here by the Intracoastal Waterway

Thank you again Shelly for sharing your memories with us.  Won’t you share your Briny Breezes memories?