Mr. Robert Kirkland Besley

After a rich, blessed life, Robert Kirkland Besley, known to family and friends as Bob, died peacefully on September 27, 2016 at age 88. Born to Arthur Kirkland Besley and Regina Schloer Besley in Washington, D.C. on January 3, 1928, Mr. Besley grew up in Washington and its suburbs. It was there on Clagett Road in University Park, Maryland where he literally met, and fell in love with, “the girl across the street,” Dolores. They married in 1950, and 12 years later, they moved back home to Clagett Road, where they resided for ten years with their four children. Mr. Besley enlisted in the Army during the latter part of World War II where he received numerous honors and awards playing on national championship baseball teams based in Camp Lee, Virginia. Following his military service, Mr. Besley attended the University of Maryland, where he played shortstop on Maryland’s varsity baseball team, lettering all four years. He also was a proud member of Kappa Alpha Order. Mr. Besley graduated in 1951 with a business degree and has remained a member of the University of Maryland “M” Club for over 65 years. After graduating from college and turning down a baseball offer from the Yankees, Mr. Besley fulfilled his lifelong dream and was sworn in as an FBI Agent in 1951. He was a Special Agent in Detroit and New York City before being transferred in 1962 by J. Edgar Hoover to FBI Headquarters in Washington to supervise Special Agents nationally for the FBI’s Criminal Division. As part of his leadership role in the Criminal Division, he was associated with many noteworthy cases, including the D.B. Cooper hijacking and disappearance, the assassination of President Kennedy, the kidnappings of Patty Hearst and Barbara J. Mackle, and numerous airplane hijackings. Mr. Besley was also privileged to be the liaison between Quinn Martin Productions in Hollywood and the FBI, approving and ensuring accuracy of the scripts generated for The FBI television show popular in the late 1960s and 70s. In 1973, Mr. Besley was assigned to command positions in Columbia, South Carolina, and later in Phoenix, Arizona before concluding his FBI career as an Inspector, and then Special Agent in Charge assigned to the New York Field Office. Mr. Besley retired from the FBI in 1978 with 27 years of service, later working as a Vice President for Atlantic Pepsi Cola in Columbia, South Carolina, where his family made their permanent home. Mr. Besley was a member of Spring Valley Presbyterian Church, the American Legion, and the Society of Former FBI Agents. His passions included his beloved family, recreational tennis and poker with neighborhood friends, the stock market, the Washington Redskins, the Maryland Terrapins, and the Atlanta Braves. He was an avid newspaper reader, reading multiple national newspapers in their entirety daily. Mr. Besley was an attentive, loyal friend with a special ability to see and cultivate the best in others. Family and friends cherished his remarkable story-telling abilities and his enviable memory of trivia, sports facts, and current events. A born leader, Mr. Besley truly embodied the FBI principles of fidelity, bravery, and integrity. He prided himself on being “Firm but Fair” as a boss and a father. His children and grandchildren treasure the life lessons that their “Dad” and “Granddaddy” modeled and taught throughout the years. Those left to share and cherish Mr. Besley’s love and legacy are his childhood sweetheart and wife of 66 years, Dolores Besley; his brother, Fred Besley (Barbara); daughters, Barbara Bracey (Denny) and Joan Revson (Frank); sons, Robert Jr. “Bob” Besley (Sandy) and William “Bill” Besley (Sharon); seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. The Besley family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the direct care and supervisory staffs of Wildewood Downs Long Term Care for their attentiveness and compassion particularly during Mr. Besley’s final days. A service celebrating Mr. Besley’s life will be held at 4 o’clock, Thursday, September 29th at Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, with visitation to follow. A private family burial will be held in Ft. Jackson National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations made to the American Heart Association (www.heart.org) in honor of Robert K. Besley.

Tributes

Mr. Robert Kirkland Besley

January 3, 1928 - September 27, 2016