After a long journey, Robert Beckett is back home in New Brunswick.
Seventy-five-year-old Robert was found in the Northumberland Mall parking lot in his van in January.
He was homeless.
The van had no gas, the battery was dead, a window was down a bit and there was snow inside the van.
Robert didn’t have clothes for the frigid temperatures. He’d been ripping pages out of books to put in his clothing for insulation. LCBO staff said they were confident he would have died if there wasn’t some intervention.
Thankfully there was.
Through the help of LCBO staff, along with members of the Cobourg community Robert got better and stronger.
LCBO staff bought items and made sure Robert had lodging. The community came together as well helping a stranger.
It’s a story that could be made into a movie the way it ended.
After accidentally connecting with a person who helped look up the family history, his brother was found in New Brunswick.
And on Sunday, February 8, 2026, LCBO staff drove Robert to the Billy Bishop airport and he boarded a Porter flight to New Brunswick.
A few hours later he was escorted off the airplane, into a wheelchair and inside the airport into his brothers arms. Both siblings hadn’t seen each other in nearly 30-years.
Decades have gone by, but Robert was welcomed by his brother and their family.
Having his first home cooked meal in months, Robert had a plate filled with ham, potatoes, carrots, and more.
A home cooked meal in the warmth of a loving home of his family.
Robert’s sister-in-law, Wendy Becket did a short video thanking everyone.
“We are having our homecoming supper for Robert.”
“We just want to take a minute and thank everybody for bringing Robert home to us. God works in very mysterious ways, but we are very thankful to him as well.”
Robert was born and raised in New Brunswick, but left in 1998 and has been in Ontario since.
With the Help from the Cobourg Community, LCBO Staff Save Man’s Life and Reunite Him with Family
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
