BRYANT — The soul of Donald Dean Beasley

departed this world to soar with the Lord’s aner gels on January 22nd, 2024. As an avid pilot who loved to travel he has begun his greatest journey to bask in God’s Glory for eternity. Don was born February 7th, 1937 in Fordyce, Ark., the third of seven children, to the late William N. Beasley and Georgia Beasley during the height of the Great Depression. Don’s hard work ethic and determination was learned on a farm as a young boy working the fields in rural south Arkansas. After the family moved to Malvern in 1952, Don worked after school hours delivering ice locally before graduating Malvern High School in 1955. His love of country and adventure lead him to enlist in the U.S. Air Force from 1956 to 1960 where he learned the skills that would later lead to his career as an engineer. His deployments to Frankfurt Germany, the Azores Islands and other locations fueled his interest in travel and aviation. These experiences instilled a desire later in life to become a private pilot as he developed a true passion for flying. While training to become a pilot Don also developed a deep love for the game of golf. As a member of Eagle Hills Country Club he played as often as he could, especially after his retirement from Garver Engineering in 2006.

In addition to flying and golf, he enjoyed playing guitar and singing the songs he grew up with, especially with the love of his life, Thelma Beasley. Together they spent countless evenings with family and friends singing and playing music which was deeply rooted in his own family tradition. Growing up all of his siblings and his father were musically inclined which he passed on to his own children as they grew older.

Don is preceded in death by his parents, William and Georgia Beasley, brothers Roy, Kenneth and Wayne Beasley, and son, Michael Beasley. He is survived by brothers Eugene and Glenn Beasley, his sister, June Stuart, sons Jerry and Mark Beasley, and two grandchildren.

A visitation and funeral service will be held on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at Smith Sherwood Funeral Home (7700 Hwy 107 Sherwood). Visitation will be from 10:30-11:30 a.m. with the funeral following at 11:30 a.m. Burial immediately following at 1 p.m. at Arkansas State Veteran’s Cemetery.