Dr. George Sandbach Beard

George was born in Irvington, KY on February 23, 1931 to the late Thomas Miller Beard and Anna Lee Sandbach Beard. He was delivered by his maternal grandfather, J.A. Sandbach, a country doctor in Breckinridge County. As a child, George would sometimes accompany his grandfather on his rounds in his horse and buggy, seeing up close the life of a small town doctor. He was a determined and hard working youth growing up in Hardinsburg, with a paper route and then jobs at the local pharmacy and Kroger. With encouragement and financial support from the local pharmacist as well as a kind uncle, he set his mind on becoming a medical doctor. He graduated from Western Kentucky University in 1952, and from the University of Louisville School of Medicine in 1956. During the next six years, he completed his medical training in Detroit, including a surgical residency with specialization in orthopedics.

He served as a general surgeon in small communities in Kentucky during his long career, including Hartford, Paducah, and Hopkinsville, then finally returning to practice in Hardinsburg during the final years before retirement. He was highly regarded in the communities in which he served. In Hartford in the 1960s, he often came home from house calls with bags of produce as payment, always willing to help those in need.

George loved to talk to people and discover their life stories, befriending the servers at his favorite local restaurants, and generously tipping and offering encouragement. He was insatiably curious about people, life, and the world around him. He loved taking photos, using the latest SLR cameras in earlier years, then moving to small digital cameras that he kept at the ready in his jacket pocket. He enjoyed creating small picture albums that he shared with friends and family.

He was a man of strong convictions and beliefs, and maintained a large mailing list of friends and family members with whom he shared his favorite clippings and articles. He was active in political life, serving as a district chairman for the Republican party, and once as a member of Kentucky's electoral college. He was a patriot and loved our country which afforded him the opportunity to work hard and be successful, and he wanted the same for everyone. He was a strong believer in constitutional liberty, life, and traditional American values. He passed out a small card which conveyed his personal philosophy: "Life, Truth, Learning, Work, Play".

George was preceded in death by his parents; his children, Jane Ann Beard and Keith Bryan Beard; and his brothers, Thomas Beard and Robert Beard.

Continuing his memory includes his wife, Barbara Beard; children, Judy Bryan (Mark), David Beard (Peggy), and Rebecca Simpson (Wayne); grandchildren, Daniel Bryan (Jacqueline), Sarah Bryan, Andrew Beard (Esther), Aubrey Fingerson (Peter), Kristina Simpson, and Ryleigh Simpson; and six great grandchildren.

A memorial gathering will be held from 2:00 pm to 3:30 on Tuesday, October 28, at Arch L. Heady Resthaven Funeral Home, 4400 Bardstown Rd, followed by a short service celebrating George's life at 3:30.

He will be laid to rest in Hardinsburg.

Expressions of sympathy may be made to the University of Louisville School of Medicine Scholarship Fund.