AUBURN — John M. Beale, 96, of Shepley Street, Auburn, died of natural causes at his residence on July 27.

He was born in Eastport, May 26, 1914, the only child of William C. and Eunice (Mower) Beale. He graduated from Shead Memorial High School in Eastport in 1930 as the valedictorian of his class. He then graduated from Hebron Academy in 1931 and from Bowdoin College in 1935.

Mr. Beale was employed by the then-new Social Security Administration in 1936, working first in the Portland office and then in Bangor. In early 1940, he was appointed as the District Manager of the newly-created Lewiston Social Security district office, a position which he held until his retirement in 1973.

On June 13, 1940, he married the former Evelyn C. Welch of Bangor. The couple were the parents of four sons, Stephen, James, Thomas and Michael. Mr. and Mrs. Beale resided in the same house on Shepley Street in Auburn until Mrs. Beale’s death on April 30, 2008, and Mr. Beale continued in that residence until his death.

Mr. Beale was active in community affairs. He was a former member of the Central Maine Medical Center Board of Trustees, and served as chairman and member of several committees of that board in the late 1970s and in the 1980s.

In 1974, Mr. Beale was chairman of the Central Maine General Hospital-St. Mary’s Joint Hospital Fund Campaign which at the time was deemed one of the largest and most successful capital fund appeals conducted in this area. For that work, he received a special award from the Lewiston-Auburn Chamber of Commerce.

For many years, he was active as a volunteer in the United Way and its predecessor organizations. He served the United Way in a number of capacities, including that of Campaign Chairman. He also served as its interim executive director on one occasion when the United Way was suddenly without an executive director.

He served several terms as a trustee of the Auburn Public Library including a term as vice president of the board. He was a longtime member of the Bowdoin Club of Androscoggin County, serving as president among other offices.

Captain of the swim team while at Bowdoin, Mr. Beale continued his interest in competitive swimming after graduation and served as coach of the Edward Little High School swim team from 1944 to 1962, although he was never a member of the Edward Little High School teaching faculty.

In his retirement years, Mr. Beale enjoyed a variety of outdoor activities, including vegetable gardening, working in his woodlot and at Prince Farm Orchard in Turner.

Mr. Beale is survived by three sons, Stephen P. Beale and his wife, Laurie Gibson, of Durham, Thomas J. Beale and his wife, Jean, of Bangor and Michael J. Beale and his wife, Kate, of Holden; five grandchildren, Andrea, Martin, David, Moira and Jonathan Beale; and two great-grandchildren, Alexander Beale and Arnica Beale.

He was predeceased by his wife, Evelyn in 2008; and a son, James W. Beale in 1994.

Online condolences and sharing of memories may be expressed at www.lynchbrothers.com.