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Walter Beam

Memorial Page | Comments Off on Walter Beam

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Walt Beam

Born:  July 25th, 1921

“Relieved from duty” February 19, 2010

 

Memorial Service:  Sunday, February 28 

 

 

 Walt was a devout Christian, husband, father, grandfather, and veteran of World War II.

One of the founding members of the Hartford congregation, Walt served as a deacon,Bible class teacher, and elder for many years.  He was greatly loved and widely respected.

A memorial service was held for Walt in the Gaylord University Center located on the campus of Oklahoma Christian University on Memorial Road.  The family hosted a reception afterwards.  

The family asks that any remembrances be made to the New Hope Church of Christ for the church library, or to the Engineering Department of Oklahoma Christian University.

Below is Walt’s obituary

Walter Willis Beam died February 19th, 2010 in Oklahoma City, OK.  Walt was born July 25th, 1921 on a farm outside Denison, TX to Orville Wray and Lucy Fischer Beam.  Walt graduated from Denison High School in 1938 and received a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M in 1943.  He received his commission from the US Army Air Corps at Yale University on July 5th of 1943 and served as an aerial engineer in India, China and Tinian in the South Pacific from 1943-1945 rising to the rank of Captain.  He was on the 1st B-29 bomber to cross the “Hump”.  He successfully completed 35 combat missions in the B-29.

Walt married Margeretta Wood on September 11, 1943.  Following his wartime service, Walt took a job with Dow Chemical in Freeport, TX.  Walt and Margeretta moved to Ponca City, OK in 1948 where he accepted a position at Conoco as a Mechanical Engineer.  He was employed by Conoco for 39 years, rising to the office of Vice President of Engineering. Walt was a member and past president of the Rotary Club, member of the Ponca City Chamber of Commerce, a director of the Pioneer Bank in Ponca City as well as a member and past president of the Oklahoma Society of Professional Engineers.

Walt was a lifelong child of God, worshipping at a Church of Christ wherever he lived.  He was a founding member of Hartford Ave. Church of Christ in Ponca City, OK where they attended for 43 years and he served as an elder for 30 years.  Most recently he and Margeretta resided at Epworth Villa and worshipped at New Hope Church of Christ in Edmond, OK.

Walt was preceded in death by his brother Tom Beam of Oklahoma City, OK, and is survived by Margaretta, his loving and devoted wife of 66 years, his brother Ralph Beam of Kearney, NB, sisters Martha McNiece of Ponca City, OK and Evelyn Finch of Cupertino, CA, his sons Walter Jr. and wife Donna of Tampa, FL, Chester and wife Debbie of Edmond, OK, grandchildren Justin and wife Mollie of Sugar Land, TX, Cynthia and husband Paul Alwine of Herndon, VA, Julia and husband Jared Morgan of Edmond, OK, and Tyler of Bogota, Columbia, and great-grandchildren Brenden, Ashlyn, Kayden, Maegan, Zach, and Brooke and several nieces and nephews. 

A memorial service was held at 4:00 Sunday, February 28th at the Edward L. Gaylord Center at Oklahoma Christian University.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the library fund of New Hope Church of Christ at 3601 South Broadway, Suite 1300, Edmond, OK, 73013 or Oklahoma Christian Department of Mechanical Engineering, Oklahoma Christian University, Box 11000, Oklahoma City, OK, 73136.