Thomas Barnes Beach

March 9, 1932 - February 12, 2016

Thomas Barnes Beach, ""Tom"", 83, passed away peacefully at HopeWest Hospice on February 12, 2016, surrounded by his family.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Arliss (""the love of his life"") and his two children, Diane (Geoff Shuster), and Douglas (Ruth) Beach.

Tom was born in Chicago, Illinois to Joseph and Isabelle Beach. At age two, the family moved to Steven's Point, Wisconsin where Tom graduated from high school. After a whirlwind courtship, Tom and Arliss were married in 1953.

Tom graduated from medical school at the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 1957. He served in the United States Navy from 1957-1977. He had tours of duty in Oakland, California, Yokosuka, Japan, Bethesda, Maryland (where he did his Cardiology fellowship), Portsmouth, Virginia, London, England (where he was appointed Captain and Fleet Medical Officer to Europe) and Jacksonsville, Florida (chief of Medicine at the Naval Hospital). After Navy retirement, he ran the Family Practice Residency Program at St. Vincent's Hospital in Jacksonville. In 1994, Tom and Arliss moved from Jacksonville, Florida to Grand Junction, Colorado where Tom joined Western Slope Cardiology until he fully retired in 2004.

Tom was devoted to caring for his patient's health and well-being. He taught us to listen to our patient's history as ""they always knew what was ailing them"". Tom had an open and curious mind, a gentle and heartfelt spirit, and a sense of outdoor adventure. He was always willing to lend a helping hand to his family, friends, and those in need. He was a loving and caring grandfather to his five grandchildren, Matthew (Amber), Cody, Kristen (Jarrett), Carley, and Lily.

Tom was an avid outdoorsmen, fisherman, pilot, hiker, hunter, skier, mountain biker, yard sale shopper, ATV rider, refurbisher of vintage cars, and music lover.

A private memorial service will be held at Erikson Springs in the summer.

In lieu of flowers, offerings in Tom's memory can be made to HopeWest Hospice, 3090B North 12th Street, Grand Junction, Colorado, 81506.

The family wishes to thank the HopeWest Hospice team for their compassionate skill and devotion in caring for Tom.

Published in The Daily Sentinel on Feb. 14, 2016