Ida (Gillespie) Besecker

Ida Besecker Ida (Gillespie) Besecker, 102, passed away on September 22 at Holy Family Manor in Bethlehem. A long-time resident of Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg, Ida is survived by stepson Bob Besecker of Stroudsburg; stepdaughter Pat Rodgers of Stroudsburg; daughter-in-law Mary Ann Gray of Allentown; 11 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and six great-great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by husbands John Gray and Clinton Besecker, sons Gilbert Gray and Dick Gray, and daughter-in-law Mary Gray. Born in 1913 in Orviston, Pa., Ida’s arrival into this world came one year after the sinking of the Titanic and one year before the start of World War I. She was feisty from early on. In the 1920s, when athletic fields were boys’ domains, Ida starred on her town’s baseball team. She wasn’t relegated to the bench or spot duty; she was the starting shortstop. Ida and Clint Besecker owned the Lackawanna Trail Diner in Stroudsburg. Later, Ida was a fixture at Besecker’s Diner in Stroudsburg, where she worked as the hostess into her mid-90s and was known for her sharp wit and quick smile. Hers was the first face many in Monroe County saw each morning, and the network of family and friends that she developed there, at East Stroudsburg United Methodist Church and throughout the Poconos was very important to her. Life wasn’t always easy for Ida. She lost two husbands and two sons. But, when life gave Ida lemons, she didn’t just make lemonade, she also scraped every bit of zest from them that she could. She lived a good, honest life, one free of major health concerns well into her 102nd year. Even at 102 years of age, Ida still had a valid driver’s license. As a widow, she took up golf at 50 years old, and it became a passion of hers for the rest of her life. She played into her late 90s, and even as her advancing age shaved distance from her shots, she still “hit ’em straight.” Ida was a member of the Glen Brook Women’s Golf Association, where she was honored by the club with a lifetime pass, and made many tremendous friends and memories that she held very dearly. Ida was a dedicated supporter of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren in their pursuits, which included ball games, dance recitals, school activities and more. She especially loved a good tailgate and would attend their sporting events in any type of weather. Sports were a major part of her life. When she wasn’t playing them, she was watching them on TV. She followed two MLB teams closely: “The Phillies to see them win and the Yankees to see them lose,” she would say. Ida was incredibly competitive, whether on the golf course, at the card table, or in front of a board game. Even in her final days, she railed against the bingo games at her care facility because there was nothing to win. That was quintessential Ida Besecker. She was “in it to win it”—her life and the way she lived it truly is a testament to that. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at the Bensing-Thomas Funeral Home, 401 N. Fifth St., Stroudsburg. On Tuesday, there will be a visitation at the funeral home from 10 a.m. until the time of the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Colgate University Maroon Council, c/o Bensing-Thomas Funeral Home, 401 N. Fifth St., Stroudsburg, PA 18360. Bensing-Thomas Funeral Home 401 N. Fifth St., Stroudsburg www.bensing-thomasfuneralhome.com