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JOHN PAUL BEASLEY, Jr.

Image of JOHN PAUL BEASLEY, Jr.
Birth Date: September 11, 1932
Death Date: February 8, 2000
Age at Death: 67

Marriages

DIANNE Cline Beasley - 1952

Burial Details

Cemetery Name: Sunset View
Cemetery Location: Eagle, Colorado
Mortuary Name: Farnum Holt, Glenwood Springs

Obituaries

Daily Trail page 5 - February 11, 2000

BEASLEY SERVICES FRIDAY. EAGLE MOURNS LOSS OF LONGTIME BUSINESSMAN, by Kathy Heicher.
Memorial services for longtime Eagle business man John P. BEASLEY will be held this afternoon (Friday) at 2 p.m. at the United Methodist Church in Eagle.
BEASLEY died Tuesday morning, following a lengthy illness.
A lifelong local, BEASLEY, 67, played a key role in the community, not only as the operator of a family-owned grocery store, but also through his support of many community programs. He was honored in 1992 as the Eagle Valley Citizen of the Year.
He was born in Gypsum on Sept. 11, 1932, to Paul (Sharkey) and Ruth BEASLEY. By the time John graduated from Eagle County High School in 1949, he was already involved in the grocery business, working weekends and summers at Stanley's Cash Grocery in Eagle, a business owned by his aunt and uncle.
He served a two-year stint in the United States Army, and attended a semester of college at Mesa State. He worked briefly as a logger, and for the New Jersey Zinc Company and Gilman. However, the grocery business proved to be BEASLEY's niche, and he returned to the store.
In 1952, he married Minturn resident Dianne CLINE, and they raised three children.
For 20 years, BEASLEY volunteered on the Eagle Fire Department. He also served on the local volunteer ambulance crew, and was active in the American Legion. Along with other volunteers, he donated countless hours of labor to building a Fire Hall and rebuilding the Legion Hall. He was active in the Lion's Club, and served on the Eagle Town Board.
He worked for his aunt and uncle until purchasing the business in 1972. Three years later, the growing store relocated from Eagle's main street to the Eagle Commercial Park. For decades, Beasley's Food Town was a mainstay of the community, and the business was a chief source of sales tax revenues for the town. People depended upon BEASLEY and the store not only for groceries, but for community support.
BEASLEY always found space in the store's lockers to store food supplies for the senior citizen lunch program. He donated food for countless club concession booths, and bought 4-H animals at the county fair. For years, Beasley's Food Town hosted a free watermelon feast at Flight Days or the county fair.
An avid supporter of local athletic programs, Beasley's store sponsored countless adult and children's sports teams. He contributed more than sponsorship fees and uniforms. John regularly attended the games, watching with a smile as his children, grandchildren and their friends played.
BEASLEY was also instrumental in the effort to install lights at the downtown softball park in Eagle. At the time, the town had only one softball field, and not enough hours in the day for all the teams to play.
BEASLEY loaned several thousand dollars to the light installation project, then, along with his family, organized the hamburger concession stand that ultimately raised the money for the lights.
He supported youth in many ways. A good many of the people who grew up in Eagle worked their first job at Beasley's grocery store.
Family was always important to BEASLEY. For many years, he had a policy of closing the grocery store on Sundays, so that workers and customers could spend time with their families.
In 1982, BEASLEY was recognized by his fellow grocers as "Retailer of the Year."
Ten years later, the Eagle Valley Chamber of Commerce honored BEASLEY as the 1992 Citizen of the Year. The grocery store ceased operations several years ago.
John enjoyed snowmobiling, jeep rides, woodworking, hunting, and creating Christmas light displays at his house.
One of his lingering concerns was the fact that there is no flagpole at the Western Eagle County Metro Recreation District athletic field complex, near the county fairgrounds. His family has asked that memorial contributions be made to the John BEASLEY Memorial fun, c/o Alpine Bank, Box 70, Eagle, CO 81631. Money raised will be used to place a flagpole at the ball fields.
BEASLEY is survived by his wife, Dianne of Eagle; daughter Dana GERARD and her husband, George, of Gypsum; daughter Rhonda and husband Richard PARKER of Eagle; son Bill and wife Sonja of Eagle; a sister, Margaret COLLETT of Gypsum; and five grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his father, Paul BEASLEY.

Eagle Valley Enterprise - February 10, 2000

John P. BEASLEY, 67, of Eagle passed away on Feb. 8 following a lengthy illness.
Mr. BEASLEY was born in Gypsum to Paul and Ruth BEASLEY on September 11, 1932.
Mr. BEASLEY was a United States Army Veteran and was a member of the American Legion, post 150.
Mr. BEASLEY is preceded in death by his father, Paul BEASLEY. He is survived by his mother, Ruth BEASLEY of Eagle; wife Dianne BEASLEY of Eagle; a son, Bill BEASLEY (wife Sonja); two daughters, Danna GERARD of Gypsum and Rhonda PARKER of Eagle; sister Margaret COLLETT of Gypsum; and 5 grandchildren.
There will be a visitation at the Farnum-Holt Funeral Home Chapel in Glenwood Springs the evening of Feb. 10 between 6 and 8 p.m.
Services will be held at the United Methodist Church in Eagle at 2 p.m. on Friday, February 11. Pastor Jeff HANSON will be officiating the service. Mr. BEASLEY will be buried at the Sunset View Cemetery in Eagle.
Memorial contributions may be made to the John Beasley Memorial Fund c/o Alpine Bank, Box 70, Eagle, CO 81631. Contributions will go toward the placement of a flag pole at the Western Eagle County Metropolitan Recreation District's Athletic Complex.

Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 4B - February 10, 2000

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