IN MEMORIAM
E. Metz Beahm
1913-1972

A humble, hard-working, religious, professional engineer left our midst on February 29, 1972. We would be remiss not to make appropriate note of Metz’ significant contributions in our community and nation. He was a charter member of NMSPE (New Mexico Society of Professional Engineers) and a member of the first Board of Directors in 1948. Metz was born in East Falls Church, Virginia to parents who operated a private school in an inherited 22-room southern mansion. When Metz was two years old his parents became imbued with a life in the West and joined the Indian Service. They held assignments at Paguate, Fort Defiance and the Santa Fe Indian School.

Realizing Albuquerque was going to grow Metz’ father went into the real estate business in the early twenties. This proved a wise move for he acquired a number of properties that were to become valuable in later years. Young Metz attended kindergarten in Santa Fe and first grade at Fort Defiance, Arizona. Then all the rest of his schooling came in Albuquerque. Metz worked his way through college in the depression years, earning his BS in EE in 1935, and his MS in Chemistry in 1937. It is interesting to note that Metz’ masters thesis was “Fluoride Content in Area Water and Effect on Human Teeth.”

After graduation Metz worked five years for the Public Service Company of New Mexico (then Albuquerque Gas & Electric Company) - On June 7, 1942, he volunteered for active duty in the U.S. Navy and was commissioned and assigned to four years of “temporary duty with the Destroyer Base, San Diego, where he became an expert in the maintenance of submarine batteries. While at San Diego, Metz met an attractive young lady, a Wave storekeeper, Elizabeth Vallentgoed. Miss Vallentgoed was to become his wife in June of 1947 and the mother of their four wonderful children, one boy and three girls.

Metz was returned to inactive duty in May of 1946. However, he remained active in the Naval Reserve until 1962 when he retired as a LCDR. During this period he was attached to Naval Reserve BuShips Unit p8-7 in Albuquerque and was one of its early Commanding Officers. 

After active duty, Metz rejoined the Public Service Company for a year and then took a 13-year assignment as an Electrical Engineer with the Potash Company of America at their Carlsbad mine. In 1958 he returned to Albuquerque and worked for one year with the installation of the automatic electric control panel of the Ideal Cement plant in Tijeras Canyon. His next assignment was also a challenge — that of heading up the maintenance force at BCMC (Bernalillo County Medical Center) which he handled for two years — 1959-61.

In 1961 he retired from the role of an employee in order to handle the various problems and details arising from the properties he had inherited from his father’s several real estate acquisitions. Metz’ hobbies were varied. He planned and built or supervised all construction of the family cabin on Cebolla Creek, two miles north of Fenton Lake in the Jemez Mountains. He also planned and installed a private phone line for some 20 families in the Cebolla Creek area. Metz had a complete shop in his home and particularly enjoyed rewiring and rebuilding old or broken lamps and antique telephones.

He belonged to the New Mexico Society of Professional Engineers, the Elks Club and was a member of the Episcopal Church, and a member of Canterbury Chapel, just off the UNM campus.

Metz was a retiring, unassuming and capable professional engineer. He performed quietly and effectively in his community and his performance as a good father and an outstanding citizen is a good example for all of us to remember with warmth and affection.

MFF

(From New Mexico Professional Engineer April 1972)