JESSE EDWARD "THE BEE MAN" MCCURDY

PERRY – Jesse Edward McCurdy, 91, passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 16, 2023, after an extended illness. Visitation will be on Monday, November 20, 2023, from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel at Watson-Hunt Funeral Home. Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at Watson-Hunt Funeral Home. Interment will be in Perry Memorial Gardens immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests memorial contributions to Georgia Beekeepers Association, 1701 Houston Lake Road, Perry, GA 31069, or online at www.gabeekeeping.com. Jesse was born on February 17, 1932, to the late Robert and Essie McCurdy. He grew up in Albany, GA. After completing high school, he proudly served our country in the United States Navy. He then completed trade school in Americus, GA. Jesse worked as an Industrial Plant Electrician at Pabst Brewing Company for over fifteen years. Jesse began keeping bees at the age of 10 and continued doing what he loved most, beekeeping, for the rest of his life. He was a member of Georgia Beekeepers Association, was the original organizer of Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Association and was instrumental in helping many people from all over Georgia start keeping their own bees. He was a long-time member of the Houston County Farm Bureau and has served on the Board of Directors since 1993. Jesse had a wealth of knowledge and held a world of experience in beekeeping. He and his wife had a booth at the very first Georgia National Fair displaying several of their bee hives, giving samples and selling their local honey. Together, they spent eleven days during the Georgia National Fair every year for thirty-two years sharing his passion of bees with hundreds of thousands of visitors. In fact, after seeing so many people at Georgia National Fair every year, he became recognized everywhere he went as “The Bee Man.” Thousands of children on field trips were fascinated by the buzzing from the Bee Man’s boxes, and Jesse was delighted to share and encourage all of them to learn about the physical and medicinal benefits of regularly ingesting local honey. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Perry. Jesse was preceded in death by his parents and three of his sons, Mike McCurdy, Charles “Chip” McCurdy, and Kyle McCurdy. Left to cherish the memories they made with Jesse are his loving and devoted wife of sixty-six years, Hazel Brown McCurdy of Perry; his son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Dawn McCurdy of Fort Valley; his daughter and son-in-law, Kim and Rick Bills of West Point; his grandchildren, Jesse Love, Austin Love (Autumn Moore), Heather Minix (Austin), Katelyn Holliday (Cody), Rebecca McCurdy, James Baker, Richard Bills Jr., Cason Whitlock, Ashley Owen (Daniel), and Mallory Daugherty (Ian); many great-grandchildren; and his sister, Burie McCurdy LaGarde (Glenn). Condolences for the family may be left in the online guestbook at www.watsonhunt.com. Watson-Hunt Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.

Tributes

JESSE EDWARD "THE BEE MAN" MCCURDY

February 17, 1932 - November 16, 2023