Hugh R. Beaton, Sr., 82, of Boca Raton, Florida, went to be with the Lord on January 13. He resided in Boca Raton, Florida since 2007. Born to Albert E. and Annie E. Beaton on June 1, 1927, in Roslindale, Massachusetts, Hugh excelled in academics at Boston's Longfellow Elementary School and was admitted to Boston Latin School. Hugh finished 2nd in the class of 1944 and was admitted to Harvard. Hugh served in the Navy in 1945 and flew the C-47 transport plane; returned to Harvard and graduated with honors in 1948. Hugh moved to Beaumont, Texas to begin his engineering career with Stone and Webster. In 1950 he married Elaine Harriett Boggs of Queens, NY. In 1951, he joined DuPont, where his distinguished career spanned 38 years, and they settled permanently in the Wilmington, Delaware area in 1953. He chaired numerous local nonprofit organizations and earned many professional achievement and engineering awards. Following his 1989 retirement, Hugh taught Military History at The University of Delaware Center for Lifelong Learning. After serving as the Treasurer for the Brain Injury Association of Delaware, Hugh received the Governor's Award for Public Service. He enjoyed, and was an expert on, American and military history, baseball, chemistry, classical music, nuclear energy, engineering, NFL football, government, opera, Scottish culture, and travel. Hugh was loved and admired by all who knew him. We will miss his love, brilliance, integrity, "dry" wit, friendliness, kindness, basic decency, and cheerful disposition. His wife of 52 years, Elaine, predeceased him (2003). He is survived by son Hugh R. "Rod" Beaton, Jr., of Herndon, Virginia and wife Maria, their sons Kyle and Cody, son Christopher B. Beaton of Boca Raton, FL and wife, Sally, sister Marion Grant of Raleigh, NC, sister Nancy Duggan of Dedham, MA, brothers Albert Beaton of Norfolk, MA and William Beaton of Denton, TX, and sister Adrienne Beaton of Newton Centre, MA. The family will receive friends at F.J. Higgins Funeral Home of Roslindale, MA on Saturday, February 6 at 9 a.m. There will be a funeral service at Sacred Heart Church of Roslindale, at 10 a.m., followed by burial at Mt. Benedict Ceremony of West Roxbury. Contributions can be made to the Brain Injury Association of America, the American Cancer Society , the St. Jude Catholic Church of Boca Raton, or the University of Delaware.