Earl Robert Beam, Jr.

Responsible and principled, Earl Beam had a deep fund of common sense. Friends and family were familiar with his favorite advice: Put it in the credit union! (for extra money or a windfall profit). A man who had it all family, friends, a fulfilling career, and a motorcycle Earl had the rare gift of being happy and contented with life in general. Earls dedication, kindness, and wisdom will live on in the hearts and minds of all those whose lives he touched, both as a cherished memory and a source of inspiration in the years to come. In the United States, the Roaring Twenties were a time of economic prosperity and changing social values, including new rights for women, the popularization of radio, and increasing consumerism. Earl Robert Jr. was born in the end of this exciting decade, on April 21, 1927, and shared his birth year with the first transatlantic telephone call, the first work on Mount Rushmore, and the release of the first talkie, The Jazz Singer. Earls father, Earl Sr., supported his family by first working at Norge Plant in Muskegon, Michigan, and later at Continental Motors. His mother, Olive (Chartrand) Beam, stayed at home, tending the large family garden and raising six children: in addition to Earl, the family included Jacqueline, Marilyn, Bruce, Sandra, and John. The family moved around quite a bit, especially during the Depression, when Earls father had to work a series of odd jobs to make ends meet at home. Earl attended various schools in Muskegon County, and finally settled down in Muskegon Heights for high school. He made several lifelong friends during middle school, including Stan, Larry, Wilmer, Whitey, and Dick. In his free time, Earl earned extra money by picking pickles, delivering newspapers, and setting bowling pins. He often gave up his own money to buy food for the family, and worked with his dad as much as he could. On one memorable day, Earls dad bought Earl a Buck Rogers gun, and from that day forward he always addressed his son as Buck. When Earl was only sixteen years old, he decided to serve his country by signing up for the U.S. Navy. The draft wasnt far away, and Earl reasoned that it was better to choose his station of service, rather than just being assigned to the Army. Earl served in the Pacific Theatre on the USS Hornet for two years as a radar technician, which made port in Pearl Harbor and San Francisco. Safely back home after his years as a sailor, Earl returned to Muskegon Heights High School. In addition to his studies, Earl played on the baseball team, sang in the choir, and played right guard on the Muskegon Heights Tigers Championship football team. He graduated in 1947, and went on to study electronics at Western Michigan University for more than 2 years on the GI Bill. During his college years, Earl lived modestly in a little apartment with his friend, Larry Boone. When money ran tight, Earl was known to go to a restaurant, order a glass of hot milk, and add ketchup his version of tomato soup and crackers! Earl met the woman who would be the love of his life, Sandra Lee Rosie, at a local dance. He spotted Sandra standing by herself, and asked her to dance. When the dance was over, Sandras friends made a big fuss over her because she got to dance with Earl Beam! Earl and Sandra started dating, and were married on March 13, 1950. The happy couple started their married life in a small cottage off Russell Road, but moved to East Muskegon once their family started to grow. As the years went by, they became the proud parents of four children: Lynda Lee, Karen Kay, Earl Robert III, and Christine Collene. Since the childrens births were spread out over fifteen years (1950 to 1966), Earl and Sandra essentially raised three families. Earl was a great father he moved with the times, but also passed on many timeless lessons of character and wisdom to his children. For vacations, Earl and Sandra enjoyed taking the whole family on camping trips within Michigan and out-of-state. Out-of-state trips were usually to visit extended family, and included several cross-country treks to visit Earls father in Arizona. The Beam family also enjoyed family game night, until Sandra decided that it should come to an end because the competition had become too extreme. The Beam family was completed by a series of pets over the years: Princess, the little black and white mutt dog who would not let him spank his kids; Jo Jo, the shaggy-haired dog who was relentless with playing ball; and multiple cats over the years. In the years just after his marriage, Earl supported his family as a checker with Continental Motors. Later, he found his niche with the Research and Development team as a logistics expeditor for prototype parts and assemblies. He was also active in the union, and organized the office and technical employees of Continental Motors in the early 1960s. He was the first president elected to UAW Local 1279, and was re-elected each term until his retirement in 1993. Serving as the Union president, Earl devoted much of his time to improving the relationship between management and labor, and was repeatedly recognized as the right guy to mediate difficult situations which arose between labor and management. Earl was also an elected member to the Teledyne Credit Union Credit Committee, and later was elected as the Treasurer of the Credit Union Board of Directors. In his free time, Earl was actively involved in the Muskegon Motorcycle Club. He loved the open road, and he and Sandra went on several Gypsy Tours with other club members. He was also an avid bowler, and golfed regularly on the greens of Lincoln Golf Course with buddies Mel Talbert, Lyle Morphew, Jerry Decker, and Red VanAlsberg. He also reconnected with some high school buddies, and enjoyed bowling with Larry Boone and Cigar Louie. Earl retired in 1993, at the age of 66, and one of his first comments on retired life was I dont remember how I ever found time to work! He kept busy golfing in the summer, bowling when it got too cold to golf, and traveling to Texas each winter to visit Lynda and family. Earl and Sandra would stay in Texas for several weeks each time, and while there got a kick out of shopping and going out for lunch. Closer to home, Earl loved spending time with his grandchildren. He took great pride in the fact that each of the grandkids had learned to swim in his pool. He enjoyed talking with the little ones he couldnt wait to hear what would come out of their mouths next and sometimes instigated behaviors of which their mothers did not approve! In these final years, Earls constant companion was Roxie, a golden retriever given to him by his wife. Responsible and principled, happy and kind hearted, Earl was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, and a loyal friend. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by his many friends and family members. Mr. Earl Robert Beam Jr. died on August 14, 2013, at the age of 86. Earls family includes his daughters, Lynda Lee (Chas) Morse of TX, Karen (Stanley) Bielinski of Muskegon, and Christine (Scott) Spring-VanderVen of Muskegon; his son, Earl R. (Tammy) Beam III of Muskegon; his grandchildren, Lance deJong, Claudia deJong, Chad deJong, Kimberly (Tony) Myers, Lacey (John) Wolfinger, Rion Spring and Kendal Spring; 12 great grandchildren; 7 step grandchildren; his brother, John Beam of FL; his sister, Sandra (Frank) Hatten of NM; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sandra, in 2010; his parents; his brother, Bruce Beam; and his sisters, Jacqueline Frederick and Marilyn Hill. Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, August 19, at the Clock Chapel Muskegon, with Captain Dan Sawka officiating; military rights will be held at the funeral home. Friends are invited to join the family for visitation from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. on Sunday at Clock Funeral Home - Muskegon. For those who wish, memorials may be directed to the Harbor Hospice-Poppen House. Please visit Earls personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can learn more about his life, share a favorite memory or photo, and sign the online guestbook.