January/February 2026

45 – Purebred PIGEON Lothar Beer “A Dear Friend Has Passed” I was saddened to hear of the death of an esteemed friend, Lothar Beer of Lindenhurst, N.Y. on Nov. 18th. He was 91 years old and had been in poor health for the past few years. What comes to mind when you think about such a friend? First of all you think about the kind of a person he was. Lothar was a gentleman thru and thru. He was well spoken and was revered for his kind personality. But, let me tell you a little more about him. He was born in Bavaria, Germany. In the years follow- ing the war, he raised pigeons- and of all the varieties, pouters were the favorites even back then. He migrated to America in 1955. Lothar was a talented ship carpenter, the trade he learned from his father and worked at in America . I can remember visiting the Beer’s in the 1960’s and marveling at the yacht that was moored in their backyard. Lothar would bring these impressive boats home to work on and he was a sought after skilled craftsman who could do intricate repairs. His hobby, of course was breeding pigeons and always pouters. He bred super Pomeranian Pouters. He had imported birds with the help of friends in Germany. Later on Reversewings and even Norwich came over- and always top rung show pigeons. The beauty of it all was that he wasn’t afraid of sharing his birds with others and his gener- osity helped elevate the quality in America. The Beers have been dedicated show people in Long Island. Barbara served as secretary of clubs and shows and Lothar was always there helping her. He was always a cheerie, happy, good guy who would help anyone with good advise and a good bird. They made a great couple! And over the past decade, Barbara has been bulletin editor for the National Pouter and Cropper Club. I also don’t want to forget their daughter Nicole who is a school teacher. The National Pouter and Cropper Club will honor the legacy of Lothar Beer by naming the annual club meet at the 2026 Pageant of Pigeons the “Lothar Beer Memorial Show”. There will be beautiful awards honor- ing the memory of this wonderful man that we all loved. What a great guy, we will never forget you Lothar! R.I.P. – Frank Barrachina•