Thomas S. Beerman

Thomas S. Beerman, 83 passed away on Thursday, August 17, 2023. Born in Poe, Indiana on March 8, 1940, he was a son of the late William and Jane (Welch) Beerman. Tom began his education in a one-room school for the first 5 years of his school life. He graduated from Hoagland High School, attended and graduated with a master's degree from Ball State University, where he discovered volleyball. He became a High School Physical Education teacher and coach for the rest of his working years. Tom had a passion for Volleyball, and was named the Midwest Intercollegiate MVP in 1963, later playing on the U.S. National team in 1966, 1969 and 1970. He played on an AAUU national championship team in 1974 and was a member of a national runner-up Golden-Masters Team in 1988. A dedicated volleyball coach at Wayne, Bishop Luers and Snider High School, Tom led several teams to state, sectional, regional, and semi state titles. His teams combined held a record of 313-28. Tom enjoyed golfing, gardening, and the time spent with his family, especially attending the sporting events of his children and grandchildren. Tom is survived by his wife, Judy (Pilkenton) Beerman; children, Jon (Erika) Beerman, Michelle (Ray) Lindow, Alison Streeter, Lori (Dirk) Morgan, Patrick (Dawn) Lafferty, Sherry (Pat) Friend, Sue Anne Lafferty and Ron (Jill) Lafferty; grandchildren, Luke, Elena, Kendall, Jackson, Jessica, Jordan, Joni, Jadie, Kyle, Jenna, Katie, Danny, Ryan, Hannah, Mitchell, Olivia, Caroline and James; great-grandchildren, Callen, Scottie, Sophia and Jackson; daughter-in-law, Mary Beth Beerman; and sister-in-law, Doris Beerman. He was also preceded in passing by his son, Chris Beerman; and brother, Larry Beerman. A celebration of life for Tom will be held from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM on Saturday, September 16, 2023 at Elzey-Patterson-Rodak Home for Funerals, 6810 Old Trail Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46809, followed by a time of sharing at 3:00 PM. Memorial contributions may be made to a Charity of your choice.