Le Roy A. Beavers Jr.

Beavers, Le Roy A.
June 3, 1923 - September 1, 2010
On September 1, 2010, Le Roy A. Beavers, Jr. passed away in Los Angeles, California at Cedars- Sinai Hospital after a long battle with cancer.
Le Roy hailed from a family with a distinguished background in the insurance business. His uncle (George A. Beavers, Jr.) was a founding member and Chairman of the Board of Golden State Life Insurance Co., which served the African-American community of Los Angeles. Le Roy followed in his uncle?s footsteps, working at Golden State until 1963, when The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United Sates recruited him to their Beverly Hills branch. As Equitable?s first African-American agent in the western US, Le Roy was dubbed by some publications as the ?Jackie Robinson of Insurance,? for breaking the color barrier within the insurance industry.
In May 1963, he was appointed District Manager at Equitable?s Century City branch where he earned Equitable National City Awards in 1966, 1967 and 1968. In June 1968, just 5 short years after joining the company, Le Roy was rewarded for his impressive success when he was named Agency Manager of the Century City office. This appointment made Le Roy the first African-American Agency Manager at Equitable and amongst the top US insurance companies overall. He was a role model for African-Americans aspiring to a career in the insurance industry. Black Enterprise and Ebony magazines featured Le Roy as an example of the opportunities that existed for their readers. Le Roy won Presidential Citation Awards from 1969 to 1974 in recognition of his success in building the Century City Equitable office. He was a member of the National Association of Life Underwriters and the General Agents and Managers Association.
As a member of the Equitable Black Advisory Council, which advised the Chairman and CEO on Affirmative Action, Le Roy helped to pave the way for other African-Americans to pursue careers at Equitable, making it a leading Fortune 500 company in providing opportunities for minorities.
Le Roy was an active member of many community and national organizations dedicated to the advancement of African-Americans, including the 100 Black Men of Los Angeles, the Urban League, the NAACP, The Cosmos, The Eastside Boys, and the 28th Street YMCA Raggers.
A product of the Los Angeles public school system, Le Roy graduated as a California State Seal Bearer Scholar from Jefferson High School, where he also lettered in football. After graduation he attended The University of California, Berkley on a full academic scholarship, where he played Football and Boxed as the Golden Glove champ. Joining the Army Air Corps in World War II, Le Roy served as a Radio Operator on Medium Sized Bombers and as a Drill Instructor.
A lifelong resident of Los Angeles, Le Roy was a member of the Los Angeles City Fire Department prior to joining the Insurance Business. LeRoy was known by a host of relatives, friends and business associates nationwide as a motivator and leader in his community.
Le Roy was a loving husband and father. He is survived by his loving wife, Lilia Valderrama Beavers; children Deborah E. Beavers-Watford, Le Roy A. Beavers III, Kimberly A. Noble and George R. Kaszacs Jr.; grandchildren Arthur Ross, James Noble, Jessie May Noble, Brennan Beavers, Gavin Beavers, Kathleen Watford, Garrett Kaszacs and Melia Kaszacs; sister, Leola Beavers Davis and cousin, Samuel Flory. He was predeceased by his first wife of 42 years, Jessie Mae Brown Beavers, Family Editor of the Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper and Civic Leader, who passed away in 1989.
Although Le Roy A. Beavers will be missed, his family can be proud of the outstanding, inspirational legacy he has left for future generations of African-Americans and all minorities who aspire to careers in the insurance industry.
Funeral Services will be held on Thursday September 9, 2010, 11:30 AM at Forest Lawn
Memorial Park, Glendale in the Church of the Recessional, 1712 S. Glendale Avenue, Glendale, Ca. 91205. For further information please call 1-800-204-3131 or visit www.forestlawn.com.