Herbert J. Beadle III

Herbert J. Beadle, III (Jay), 58, of Atlanta died Tuesday, January 21, 2014 following a lengthy illness. Jay was a long-term cancer survivor, originally diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in 1999, and most recently treated for Head and Neck cancer for the last three years. Jay fought his illnesses with bravery and great dignity, and died peacefully at his home, with family by his side.

Jay was born in Conroe, TX, and moved to Atlanta with his family in 1966. He graduated from The Lovett School in 1973, being previously honored at the school as the Atlanta-Journal Constitution All Around Student of the year (AJC Cup Award). In 1977, Jay graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Oberlin College, in Oberlin, Ohio.

Following college, Jay began his 35-year career with Delta (Northwest) Airlines, where he served at various points in his career as a Flight Attendant, Training Specialist, Flight Attendant Instructor, and Manager of Inflight Operations and Communications. Jay received many awards and honors throughout his long career with the airlines, and loved both his employer and his co-workers.

In addition to his work with the airlines, Jay was an accomplished opera and musical theater performer, performing leading, supporting and featured player roles with the Minnesota Opera, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Harvard Symphony Orchestra, Musica Sacra (Mobile, AL), the Atlanta Lyric Theater, the State Theater of Georgia, Roswell Lyric Opera, the Columbus (GA) Symphony Orchestra, and many other local, regional, and national performing arts companies.

Jay was an active member of St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, and a member of the church choir since 2008. And, in December 2013, Jay graduated from the four-year Education for Ministry program, which is an Episcopal theological study program designed to deepen one’s understanding of his faith and the faith of others.

Jay is survived by his partner of 21 years, Daniel B. Walter, Jr.; his brother, William F. Beadle of Atlanta; his step-mother, Frances Salisbury McDowell of Atlanta; three nieces, Jennifer Carter, Jodi Beadle, Grace McEwen; and a nephew, Wills Beadle. Jay was predeceased by his father, Rev. Herbert J. Beadle, Jr., his mother, Marsden Jones Beadle, and his sister, Virginia Beadle McEwen.

A funeral service for Jay will be held on Saturday, February 1 at 1:00 PM at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta. Arrangements by H.M. Patterson & Son-Oglethorpe Hill.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Jay’s memory to a favorite cancer research or cancer support organization, or a favorite performing arts organization.