Photo By Diane Drobka: From left, Susan Bernstein, Diana Deiter Campbell, Cathy Lancaster, and Tamarah Watson, all in their new hats, joyfully celebrated “Hats Off to Bee.”
By Diane Drobka
Friends and family gathered at The Vignette in downtown Safford on Saturday, March 1, to celebrate the life of an extraordinary woman, Justine “Bee” Lancaster, of Thatcher. It was a festive evening as friends from near and far shared stories and laughter.
Bee was probably best known for teaching a wide range of Fiber Arts courses at Eastern Arizona College for more than 40 years. These included seminars, retreats, and workshops covering spinning, weaving, dying, off-loom weaving, wool-felting, macrame, basketry, paper-making, and Rangolee sand art. These interests led Bee to become a founding member of the Pinaleño Fiber Arts Guild.
Additionally, she co-taught Postscript programming and desktop publishing with her husband Don Lancaster. President Todd Hainey and the EAC Governing Board recognized her extensive years of service, sending a beautiful bouquet of flowers to the event.
Throughout her teaching career, many of Bee’s students gave her appreciation gifts centered on sheep. These gifts included stuffed animals, statues and figurines, and little toys. Everyone at the celebration was invited to adopt a sheep to take home as a remembrance of Bee.
No matter when someone would see Bee, she most likely had a hat on her head. Bee loved hats and hat boxes; she had at least 50 hats, which led to the name of the celebration: Hats Off to Bee! At the event, her hats were hung from chains along one wall and placed on top of hat boxes. Participants were told that they could take home a hat and hat box, and many hats found happy new owners.
Cathy Lancaster Mahoney decorated the tables and display areas with many of Bee’s handmade art pieces to honor her mom. One wall was adorned with clothing that Bee had made from her hand-woven fabrics.
The Vignette’s antique display shelves showcased woven fabrics, necklaces, gourds, baskets handmade by Bee, and family photos.
Those who knew Bee will remember her diverse interests and continuous quest for adventure and learning. She loved exploring nature, tending her ever-growing garden of wildflowers, and feeding the many species of birds that visited her yard. An avid reader whose home was adorned by tall oak bookshelves that she constructed.
Bee was a Certified Master Gardener and assisted with planting the native landscaping at St. Rose of Lima in Safford. She recently became a member of the Upper Gila Chapter of the Arizona Native Plant Society. She always looked forward to the Gila Watershed Partnership’s native plant sales at Discovery Park, and her garden will live on for many years to come.
An accomplished photographer, Bee’s photos have been published in Arizona Highways and Sunset magazines. She earned a B.S. in Art History at Phoenix College and Arizona State University (ASU) and later earned a Master’s degree in Anthropology at ASU.
Bee worked in Indian Studies at the Parker (AZ) Museum as part of her interest in art history and anthropology. Bee and Don spent a summer in Wyoming on a mammoth excavation. She often accompanied Don on expeditions to document the many prehistoric irrigation canals of the Gila Valley.
Bee was a constant advocate for education and was active in the American Association of University Women (AAUW), where she served as treasurer and led the committee that awarded scholarships to EAC students each year. She participated in many Thatcher Volunteer Fire Department events with Don and assisted as a safety advisor for many years.
Bee also joined Don in exploring the caves of Arizona and New Mexico. They were active members of the National Speleological Society and frequently participated in caving expeditions hosted by the Central Arizona Grotto in Glendale and Escabrosa Grotto in Tucson. In her younger days, she completed challenging hikes, tackling the Grand Canyon from rim to rim and hikes on the cliffsides of Hawaii.
Both Bee and Don served as fire lookout rangers for the U.S. Forest Service. Starting in the Apache-Sitgreaves for one year as rangers on Gentry Tower in the early 1970s, they moved to the Chiricahua Mountains, working at Barfoot Lookout and Monte Vista Tower until 1979. Spending summers living in the mountains gave daughter Cathy an early appreciation of the outdoors that she still embraces.
Food and drinks were served at the wonderful antique soda fountain that was part of the original Best Drug at this location and carefully preserved by the new owners.
Of course, a special emphasis was placed on Bee’s favorite: chocolate! Ferrero Rocher-wrapped chocolates formed centers of paper sunflowers to represent things that Bee loved — chocolates and gardening!
Bee is survived by her daughter, Cathy (Shawn) Mahoney, of Mesa; grandchildren, Kira and Kenan Lancaster; sister, Conny Jones, of Pittsburgh; and her beloved cat, Drahje.
“Hats Off to Bee” was a great evening and a unique way to celebrate the life of a very special person. Those who could not attend but would like to honor Bee can donate to any Shriner’s Hospital or the animal rescue facility of their choice.
