Richard Berle Beam, 77, of Huntsville, Alabama went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, December 26, 2018. Mr. Beam was born June 12, 1941 in Savannah, Georgia and was raised in Americus, Georgia. He was the son of the late Y.C. Beam and Carrie Blanton Beam. He was a 1963 graduate of Georgia Tech with a degree in physics. He then moved to Huntsville and worked for a variety of aerospace and defense companies. He was an active member of Whitesburg Baptist Church for 55 years after joining in 1963. He was also a member of the Jackson County Radio Control Club where he loved to fly model airplanes.
Survivors include his loving wife of over 50 years, Joan Willett Beam; his son, Matthew Yan Beam (Kim); his daughter, Melinda Beam Collier (Chris); four grandchildren, Madeline Blanton Beam, Lucy Willett Beam, William McDade Collier, and Carrie Elaine Collier; his sister, Carole Beam Noble (John); brother-in-law, Gary Willett (Rosa); and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be from 2 to 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 28th, at Whitesburg Baptist Church South Campus. The funeral service will follow at 3 p.m. with Dr. Jimmy Jackson officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Olivet Baptist Church Cemetery in Rutherford County, North Carolina.
