Alumni and Friends Making an Impact
Diners' Delight
John Beach has been welcoming students and offering them sustaining words of encouragement since he began his career in UD Dining Services 35 years ago.
No stranger to UD, John’s father, Dick Beach, graduated from UD in 1952, and one of John’s three sisters, Anne Dillon, graduated in ’79.
Over the years of John’s service as a dining services attendant, many things have changed at UD. He is currently working at the Virginia W. Kettering Residence Hall dining room. In addition to traditional meal options, the facilities in VWK offer students a variety of menu options, including a Mongolian grill, sushi and the “Green Life” plant-based choices. VWK’s menu options expanded in 2011 when the facility was renovated for the first time since it opened in 1987, and John is a fan of the renovation.
Some things that haven’t changed? The kindness of the students and John’s interest in their success at UD.
“I do like talking to people and meeting new people,” he said. And he noted that it is especially nice now that he’s primarily at VWK, because there’s more room and more patrons.
Throughout his time at UD, he has seen a number of updates on campus. His two favorites are the renovation of the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, which was completed in 2015, and the recent $76 million renovation of UD Arena. And, he remembers his sister, Anne, working as a lifeguard at the Physical Activities Center pool long before the 2006 completion of the RecPlex, UD’s 125,000 square foot recreation facility.
This continuous improvement for the community inspires John to give back to the University. He has been a UD donor for 31 years!
This continuous improvement for the community inspires John to give back to the University. He has been a UD donor for 31 years! He sometimes chooses a scholarship to support, but he trusts in the vision of the University and most often will make his donations to UD’s general fund.
“I hope the University can use my donations to help with remodeling and construction projects,” said John. He would love to see UD’s facilities continue to improve for the entire UD community.
His positive outlook, attention to detail and care for the community were rewarded in 2011 when John received the Marianist Service Award. Each year, this award honors two full-time staff members whose behavior, over a significant number of years, is congruent with the University's Catholic and Marianist character.
Nominations for the Marianist Service Award are made by the vowed Marianists who work on campus, Marianist Educational Associates and previous award recipients.
What’s next for John? Before he tackles that question, he wants to serve a solid 40 years at UD. So, there are several thousand future Flyers, including the incoming Class of ’27 who can look forward to John taking an interest in their well-being and success!