Martin M. Beer, 88, math teacher, biking enthusiast

Martin M. Beer, 88, a mathematics teacher at Haddonfield Memorial High School from 1953 to 1983 who also led cycling tours of Europe before and after his retirement, died of pulmonary hypertension Wednesday, April 4, at Kendal-Crosslands, the retirement community near Kennett Square.

In 1964, Mr. Beer and his wife, Winifred, organized Haddon Cycle Tours, first for students and later for adults, a part-time business that they continued until 1992.

He met his wife in 1950, at a Quaker meeting in Cambridge, Mass., while he was taking summer courses at Harvard University.

On their first date, daughter Michelle Caughey said in a phone interview, they had gone cycling.

Born in the Saarland region of Germany, Mr. Beer came to the United States as a teenager, graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School, and served as an Army mapmaker in the Philippines during World War II.

Mr. Beer earned a bachelor's in mathematics at Earlham College in 1949 and later a master's at the University of Maryland, both in mathematics.

Before there were the Beers' paid cycling tours, there were family cycling tours.

"I remember as a child that we would have these organized trips on Saturday mornings," his daughter said.

"Haddonfield was on the edge of the countryside, so we'd head off into the country, out toward Medford and Marlton," with a few older teenagers from the high school - " 'Kids with some sense,' he said."

When the paid cycling tours began in 1964, "the idea was to take kids to Europe," about a dozen for a six-to-seven-week jaunt.

"Often, they would fly into England, spend a week there, take the boat to the Continent," rent bikes, and cycle off.

"She was the planner and he was the interpreter," in both French and his native German.

When Mr. Beer retired in 1983, his daughter said, the cycling trips became for adults, who could handle only two to three weeks on the road but who brought their own bikes.

There was no advertising, she said, because the adult cyclers were "people who told people who told people - eventually a group of friends."

Before beginning his Haddonfield Memorial High School teaching career, Mr. Beer, a Quaker, taught at two Quaker-related schools, the Westtown School in Chester County in 1949-50 and at Sidwell Friends School in Washington in 1950-52.

His daughter said that in the years before the cycling tours, he earned fellowships from the National Science Foundation for summer studies not only at Harvard - where he met his wife - but also at Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Beer was a former president of the Association of Mathematics Teachers of New Jersey.

For several years, his daughter said, he earned the South Jersey Coaches' outstanding golf coach award while leading Haddonfield to state championships.

In 1972, the Rotary Club in Haddonfield gave Mr. Beer its highest, "What's Right With America," award.

Besides his daughter Michelle, Mr. Beer is survived by daughters Carol Benson, Janet Garrett, and Christine Braun; a brother; a sister; and 12 grandchildren. His wife, Winifred, died in 1996.

A memorial service was set for 2 p.m. Saturday, April 28 at Kendal-Crosslands.

at 215-854-5607 or at wnaedele@phillynews.com.