Bob J. Beavers

Bob J. Beavers was born March 27, 1933, and departed this life October 24, 2017. He was the son of Ottaway Beavers and Mayme McCollum Beavers. He was born in Lonoke County Arkansas. He moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, at an early age and his family was active in Highland Methodist Church. It was there he met the love of his life, Virginia Grubbs. They dated through high school and two years of LRJC. They married before he transferred to the University of Arkansas. They have been happily married for over 64 years, only rarely spending a day apart. Bob was a graduate of the relatively new architecture program at the U of A in 1957. He was awarded the John G. Williams Fellowship in March of 2006. Bob spent his career associated with and as a principal and Vice-President of Cromwell Architects (or Ginnochio, Cromwell Carter & Dees, as it was known in 1957 when he joined the firm). He opened the firm's East Arkansas branch in 1963 when he moved to Forrest City to supervise the building of the Warwick plant, later Sanyo, and stayed expanding the firm's projects with an emphasis on schools and municipal buildings all over eastern Arkansas. In 1980, he was named President of the firm's Memphis branch and was instrumental in growing it to over 30 professionals. The Memphis practice was later sold to the principals there and renamed Beavers Smith Langford and Mundinger ( BSLM), where he was privileged to work with his daughter who was Marketing Director. After his retirement from both Cromwell & BSLM in 1987 he stayed retired for three days then formed Bob J. Beavers AIA, Inc. continuing to design independently and in joint venture with younger architects he respected. He learned to hunt and fish from his grandfathers, David Beavers & Bobby McCollum and he spent much of his youth hunting ducks and fishing. He grew up just blocks from the old Ray Winder Field in LR and earned spending money shagging balls. He loved playing baseball and learned that game from his grandfather Bobby who once signed with the NY Yankees. A highlight of his life was trip to the World Series in 2011. He loved any sporting event and traveling. Bob passed on his love of hunting, fishing and baseball to his son and grandson and was looking forward to fishing on the Little Red at Pangburn with his two great-grandsons just as he did with his father, his son, and his grandson. He was a fantastic Cheerleader Dad and went to many ballgames all over Arkansas following his daughter. Then he did the same with his grandchildren. He loved Razorback Football, supporting every team and cussing every coach back to Bowden Wyatt, usually from his season ticket seats in or near the south end zone in Fayetteville or at the many bowl games he took his family to see. He was a past president of the Forrest City Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow, President of the United Way of St Francis County, was past president of the Administrative Board , chairman of the Trustees and a long-time Sunday School teacher at First United Methodist Church of Forrest City. He served many years as a Cub master of Pack 122 and Scoutmaster of Troop 122 and as district chairman and in other district and council offices, was the Col. Neil Snyder Cub master of the year for the East Arkansas Area Council and was awarded the Silver Beaver in 1979. He was very proud that both his son & grandson were Eagle Scouts. His greatest joys were his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He adored spending time with them. He and Virginia would get in the car to go for lunch, then call to say they were thinking of supper at Ft. Sill, Okla., to see his grandson & great-grandchildren. He is survived by his wife Virginia Beavers and son, Brad Beavers and wife Rush of Forrest City, daughter Beth Prescott and husband Hal of Fayetteville; granddaughter Rebekah Beavers Williams and husband David of Forrest City; grandson, First Sergeant B.J. Beavers, Jr. and wife Leslie of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; and great-grandchildren, Bradley James "Trey" Beavers III, Cayden Davis, and Mason Williams. Funeral services will be held Friday, October 27, 2017 at 11 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church. Burial will follow at the Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Cabot, Arkansas. Visitation will be Thursday, October 26, 2017 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Umac Gym at the Church. The family requests that memorials be made to the First United Methodist Church of Forrest City, P.O. Box 66, Forrest City, Ark. 72335, or to the St. Francis County Community Foundation endowments for SFC Elves, Inc., or the St. Francis County Museum, P.O. Box 3002, Forrest City, Ark. 72336 (arcf.org).