William Thomas Beard

William Thomas Beard (July 26, 1940–October 24, 2017) Aged 77 years William Thomas Beard was born on a Friday in Long Beach California at St. Mary’s Hospital in room 220, weighing 7 lbs 9 oz and measuring 21 inches tall. His parents were Joel Jackson Beard and Cora Fitzsimmons, who we grandkids referred to as “Nana and Pop”. He had three older sisters, Jo, Dianne, Patricia Maureene, and on younger sister Judith Colleen. In his youth, he was a tap dancer and a baseball player, but not at the same time. He played baseball with various teams in the Ocean Beach and Point Loma areas, and it instilled a lifetime love of the game. After graduating Point Loma High School in 1959, he joined the Navy. Serving almost 2 years, he received a medical discharge after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease. After the Navy, Bill attended Kelsey-Jenney business college where he met his future wife, Carol. They were married November 28, 1964. He worked 27 years for A.R.A., now known as Aramark, as a route man filling vending machines throughout the San Diego area. He was preceded in death by his parents Joel and Cora, and his sister Pat. He is survived by: children Erin and Ryan, and Shauna; daughter-in-law Coreena; granddaughter Olivia; ex-wife Carol; sisters Judy, Jo, and Dianne; uncle Robert Fitzsimmons; nieces Karyn and Kristin, and nephew Mike (children of his sister Pat); nieces Karen, Kristin, Linda, and Lisa (daughters of his sister Jo); nephews Joel and Jerry (sons of his sister Judy); and numerous great nephews and nieces. Memorial donations my be made to: St. Timothy Lutheran Church Memorial Fund, Lutheran Border Concerns, or ELCA Lutheran World Relief.