Samuel "Sam" Owen Beasley, Jr.

Samuel Owen Beasley, Jr., formerly of Durham, NC, died peacefully on February 14, 2024, at Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home in Winston-Salem.  He was born on February 10, 1930, near Oxford, NC.   Growing up on a small farm, he resolved early in life to see the world.  He enlisted in the US Air Force as soon as he was old enough and served honorably for six years.  During the Korean Conflict, he was attached to military intelligence and traveled between Seoul and Tokyo.  Following military service, he was recruited to play baseball but chose instead to work in project management and accounting for Nello L. Teer Construction Company, where he remained for over 40 years.  He oversaw major field offices in Venezuela, Grenada, and Qatar, along with supervision on sites around the country.  As an officer in the Administrative Management Society, he traveled to meetings throughout the US, and he was pleased to say that he had visited every state in the Union at least once.  He also enjoyed trips to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii, plus cruises to New England and the Caribbean.  In retirement, he joined his wife Pat as an active volunteer at Durham Regional Hospital, where he served as Auxiliary President.  He was named Volunteer of the Year in 2018.  For many years, he served as “honorary head usher” at Watts Street Baptist Church, welcoming everyone with a cheerful hug.  On the Croasdaile golf course, he maintained an enviable handicap well into his 80s.  When players drew straws to select sides, everyone wanted to be on his team.  So energetic was he that he often mowed his entire yard after playing 18 holes of golf.  The produce from his vegetable garden and the neat appearance of his lawn were sources of great personal pride.  He is preceded in death by his parents, Samuel Owen Beasley, Sr, and Beatrice Puckett Beasley; sisters, Christine Thaxton, Elizabeth Faulkner, and Carol Roberts; and stepson, Stephen Upchurch.  He is survived by his wife of almost 50 years, Patricia McHaney Beasley; his daughter, Tammy Ballard; stepdaughter, Donna Upchurch, and her husband Joe Davidson; sisters, Celia Kierzewski and Florence Sondys.  Also surviving are Papa Sam’s five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Sam Beasley often repeated the wisdom he learned from his mother: Trust God and love everybody.  Sam’s own life exemplified these wise words and enriched the lives of those fortunate enough to know him.  A memorial service will be held at a later date.