John William Beardslee's Obituary
John Beardslee, 80, of Lakeview, died of complications resulting from an aneurysm Dec. 2, 2018. Born on the family farm Aug. 23, 1938, he was preceded in death by his parents, William and Ina Beardslee; and daughter Jana Beardslee-Proulx. Survivors include John's wife, Judy; son, John (Sue) Beardslee of Sheridan, WY; daughters Julie (Kevin Kalbsleisch) Taylor of Greenville, Jennifer Johnson of Greenville; grandchildren James, Joe and Katie; great-grandchildren Valaree and Blake; sister Colleen Stebbins of Lakeview; and nephew Scott (Kim) Stebbins of Lakeview.
John and Judy were wed Dec. 12, 1959 in Lakeview and would have celebrated their 59th anniversary this month.
John was a lifelong resident of Lakeview, except for a short period following his marriage when he lived in Stephenville, TX, where Judy had her roots, and where their son John was born.
For his entire life, John was an avid baseball fan. He played on a local team with his father in his younger years and continued playing senior league softball later on. He was very involved with Lakeview's youth baseball program for over 30 years and served as both a coach and equipment manager.
A dedicated outdoorsman, John was a lifelong member of the Tamarack Sportsman's Club in Lakeview. He was the club's vice president and spent time there volunteering to maintain the facility's grounds.
Both a hunter and fisherman, John took part in innumerable local hunts around the Lakeview area and during his younger years made the annual hunting pilgrimage "up north." Beginning in 1970, John, his father Bill, and brother in law Art Stebbins took annual trips to Wyoming to hunt mule deer, a tradition he later carried on with his own son, John and others.
He continued hunting right through the 2018 deer season. But for John, it was all about the experience of being in the great outdoors; during hunts, he would frequently leave his rifle in the truck.
John also was an avid bowler and participated in Lakeview leagues for over 50 years. He enjoyed participating in the annual state tournaments and looked forward to the tournament trips. Even after receiving a diagnosis relating to his aneurysm, he continued to bowl, though he was forced to trade down to a lighter, 8-pound ball.
John's public service included 18 years on the Cato Township Planning Commission.
He also was instrumental in planning and organizing Lakeview High School's Class of 1956 reunions.
John was quite possibly the area's best-known and most trusted plumber and was a master plumber and member of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Local 174 for 59 years. He was one of the senior members of Local 174 and loved attending union picnics, monthly retiree breakfasts and Christmas parties, where his fellow members would share stories of John's "adventures" over the years.
John's career saw him progress from journeyman plumber, to foreman, to management, and ultimately co-ownership of Bosch Mechanical Contractors of Grand Rapids.
In addition to what he considered his day job at Bosch, John performed countless hours of moonlighting work around Lakeview, mostly for elderly women his family jokingly referred to as his "girlfriends."
Additionally, John spent evenings and weekends working on the family farm, Beardslee Farms, a Centennial Farm that is 126 years old located on Gravel Ridge Road.
For the past 20 years, John could be seen "patrolling" the rural roads between his home and the family farm, riding on his John Deere Gator, a 60th birthday gift from Judy.
John also was fond of "tinkering" in his home shop or the shed at the farm. Family and friends were well aware of John's MacGyver-like skills. He had an innate talent for improvising creative solutions to mechanical problems.
This past August, John was both appreciative and completely surprised by a surprise 80th birthday party hosted and organized by his daughters Julie and Jennifer.
In recent years, John developed a close relationship with his cat, Lilly and spent a great deal of time at home with his wife of 59 years.
John was a great man whose memory will live on in the hearts and minds of those who knew him and whose lives he touched. He will be deeply missed by his family and large circle of friends.
Public visitation is Friday from 4-8 p. m. and Saturday at 10 a. m. at Brigham Funeral Chapel in Lakeview. Service is 11 a. m. Saturday with interment following.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be directed to the Tamarack Sportsman's Club, 9241 North County Line Road, Lakeview, MI 48850.
Condolences to the family may be made utilizing the guestbook at www. brighamfuneralchapel. com
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