Lee Andrew Beeks Jr.

My daddy, Lee Andrew Beeks Jr., was born October 31, 1946, in Aberdeen, Mississippi to Lee Beeks, Sr. and Mableine Pulliam Beeks. He passed away on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, after eleven years on dialysis. He was the eldest of three and moved to Gary, Indiana with his younger brother, Henry Earl in 1951.He attended Pulaski and there he met the lady who became the love of his life, my mom, Charlena Beeks. (He would often say he never wanted to marry any woman but her.) He would later graduate from Emerson and after graduation, was drafted into the United States Army. He returned to marry my mom and fathered me and my sister, Tiffany Senee.

My dad worked at Bethlehem Steel, but quit to find a job that did not have swing shifts, which he hated. He worked at Methodist Hospital part-time in order to put my mom through nursing school. One Friday, he was talking to a guy that told him NIPSCO was hiring and he took a leap of faith and applied. He would go on to retire from NIPSCO 31 years later.

My dad was not an outgoing person. He did not belong to this organization and that club. He did not run with a whole lot of people. he was quiet, reserved, and thoughtful. He was a teacher and taught me up until the day he died. He had a strong work ethic. He was never late to work and never called off. He was an old-school dad that made sure he took care of his family before anything else. He took pride in his family, his beloved dog "Doc", his cars, and his small circle of friends. My dad loved basketball, watching the news, and his LP's. He told me, like his dad told him, " there is nothing that he would rather do than talk to me." My dad fell in love all over again when his granddaughter, Senee Chrishelle was born. He looked at her like she was gold and he told her he loved her everyday.

Lee was preceded in death by his parents, Lee A. Beeks, Jr., and Mableine Pulliam Beeks; brothers, Henry Earl and Edwin Maurice; wife, Charlena, and daughter, Tiffany.

He leaves to mourn his passing, his beloved and devoted daughter, Paula Kellie Beeks; his precious granddaughter, Senee; his loving and dedicated nephew, Avery (Esperanza) Beeks; nieces, Tracy Morris Joiner, LaToria Johnson, and Danielle Kimbrough; aunt, Imogene Pulliam; cousins, Maia Lynette (Hank) Patterson, Pamela Pulliam, and Kenneth and David Crump; family and friends.

I am heartbroken by my dad's death. There are still things my dad had to teach his granddaughter and I. Conversations that now won't be had with his nephew. He still had long talks and memories to share with the cousins. But God, in His infinite wisdom, has called my dad home. But, we are blessed to have had this time with him and are forever grateful.

Funeral Services Saturday, December 10, 2022, 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. from Ridgelawn Funeral Home 4201 West Ridge Road Gary, Indiana 46408. Military Honors from Evergreen Memorial Park Hobart, Indiana.