Annette Sue Beam (Hockenbery)

Annette Sue Beam (Hockenbery)April 19, 1956 – September 9, 2026A beautiful goodbye for a beautiful soul. 

On Wednesday, September 9, 2026, surrounded by the deepest love this world has to offer, Annette Sue Beam (Hockenbery) passed away peacefully at the age of 70 under hospice care in Sebastian, Florida. Though a cruel disease stole her from us far too soon, it could never steal the legacy of the woman who always showed up, always listened, and always loved. 

Her final moments were not defined by sickness, but by a beautiful goodbye. Wrapped in the embrace of her husband, her children, her sisters, and her brother, she was escorted out of this life by those who loved her most. We held her hands. We showered her with our love. We promised her we would keep telling her stories, and we swore to take care of one another, just as she had always taken care of us. Even as she left us, we knew that every single day, she would still be there.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, on April 19, 1956, Annette grew up to be a proud West Jefferson Roughrider, graduating in 1974. As a Hockenbery in West Jefferson, she knew just about everyone, and just about everyone knew and loved her. In her retirement years, she enjoyed life as a happy snowbird in Sebastian, Florida, chasing the warmth just as she chased the joy in life.

Annette was married to Tom Beam, the absolute love of her life. She was a woman who was exemplary at everything she touched—a devoted wife, an irreplaceable mother, a cherished grandmother and great-grandmother, a loyal sister, a loving daughter, and a truest friend. She was fiercely independent, extremely funny, beautifully stubborn, and, as she’d happily agree, just a little bit "rotten to the core."

There was nothing Annette couldn’t do. She could fish, camp, shop, craft, build, and lead just about anything put in front of her. Her garden was her quiet passion, a place where she nurtured life from the earth. She passed that green thumb down to her children, who will continue to tend to the dirt, growing the beauty in life that will forever represent her.

Annette was greeted in heaven by her beloved father, Clyde Hockenbery.

Her enduring spirit lives on in those who survive her: her mother, Patricia Hockenbery; her devoted husband, Tom Beam; her siblings, Denise Butkus, Nancy Humphries, Robin (Al) Jones, Linda Roy, and Keith Hockenbery; her children, Amy (Tom) Salyer, Matt (Amy) Livingston, and Kelly (Haneef) Muhammad; her adoring grandchildren, Connor and Jordon Livingston, Alison Livingston, Hayden and Madison Salyer, Tanner and Lauryn Salyer, Noah Muhammad, Micah Muhammad, and Eli Muhammad; and her precious great-grandchild, Adalyn.

Annette’s final lesson to the world she left behind is simple, just like the way she lived:Lead with your heart. Be kind to others. Do what you can.

The family will hold a celebration of life on SUNDAY, October 11, 2026, from 1-3pm. Location of the services will be at the RADER-McDONALD-TIDD FUNERAL HOME, 1355 W. MAIN STREET, West Jefferson, Ohio, 43162.