Raymond Douglas Beasley

Raymond Douglas Beasley, 65, died on Oct. 13, 2017, after a long illness in the care of his family and Hospice at Envoy at the Meadows in Goochland.

Doug was born on Nov. 14, 1951, in Richmond, the younger of two children. His father worked at BellSouth and then AT&T; his mother was a homemaker. Doug was a sweet, sensitive soul with a fun-loving personality and mischievous smile. His sister remembers how, as a young boy, he liked to scare her by walking across the top beam of their backyard swing set. Doug also was a talented artist who he had a flair for drawing and loved music, especially the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. He sang and played guitar with several bands, including Pandora's Box and Doug Beasley and The Bentwood Rockers. Doug attended Richmond schools and worked for Virginia ABC stores, retiring after 25 years. A lifelong pet lover, he almost always had a cat or dog in his care, including his beloved Bogie, Jiffy, Mickey, Allie and Lil' Man.

He is survived by his parents, Alice and Ray Beasley, of Midlothian, who cared for him during the illness that preceded his death; his sister and brother-in-law, Janet and John Ellerson, of Orlando, Fla.; and nieces Tracey Ellerson, of Atlanta, Ga.; Amy Martinez, of St. Petersburg, Fla.; and Leslie Doyle, of Norfolk, who fondly remember him as "their very, very cool Uncle Doug." Services will be on Oct. 20, 2017, at 11 a.m. at Bon Air Christian Church in Richmond, 2071 Buford Rd. The family would like to thank Hospice and Envoy at the Meadows for the skilled and loving care they provided during Doug's final months.