The Pub Beavercreek, its patrons, join world in commemorating Queen Elizabeth II

BEAVERCREEK — As word of the death of Queen Elizabeth II spread Thursday afternoon, phone calls began coming in at The Pub Beavercreek.

Callers and patrons were asking Jessica Pollock, the manager, what the establishment in The Greene Town Center was doing to commemorate the queen.

Soon, a memorial had been set up on the bar -- a photo of Queen Elizabeth II from decades ago and another photo from this year, along with flowers and candles.

“It was very shocking, I didn’t even know at first, and then everyone just started talking about it and it was a thing that we instantly reacted and got on the ball about doing a memorial for her,” Pollock told News Center 7′s Molly Koweek.

Josh Durke, a native of the United Kingdom who found his first job in the United States at The Pub, said he needed “a gig and the accent got me the job.”

Durke spent part of his childhood in Greene County and has been back for two years. Now he’s mourning the loss of his queen, who died Thursday at age 96, the longest reigning monarch in British history.

“It’s a sad day,” he said. “I don’t think a lot of people, especially that aren’t from England realize the queen isn’t just a figurehead. It’s not just this is who runs our country. It stems a lot deeper than that. The queen isn’t just a symbol of power, it’s a symbol of hope for the British people.”

Queen Elizabeth II was the only queen his parents had ever known.

Now, not seeing the queen there at celebrations certainly will be a different take on things, Durke said.

“I certainly believed she’d at least get to 100, so it was certainly, it was sad that she’s passed, but it was also sad that she didn’t quite get to make it to that milestone,” he said.

And as he processes the loss, Durke said he remains confident in his home country.

“Whilst losing Queen Elizabeth is a huge loss for England, I know in my heart of hearts that we will come out of this stronger, we are going to come out of this more united, and more than anything else, we are going to come out prouder to be English than we were before.”

He said planned to honor the queen Thursday night by having dinner with his family.