G. B. "Red" Beard

G.B. 'Red' Beard
Johnson City, TN.
G. B. "Red" Beard, 84, died on November 30, 2007, in Applachian Christian Village, in Johnson City, Tenn.. Funeral services will be at 10a.m. Tuesday December 4, 2007 from the Chapel of Wright & Ferguson Funeral Home Highland Colony. Visitation will be today from 5-7 p.m. and Tuesday from 9a.m. till service time at Wright & Ferguson. Burial will be in Parkway Memorial Cemetery.
Born in 1923 in Green County, he was the son of the late E.N. and Gatsye Melvin Beard. Raised in Ellisville, where he graduated from Ellisville High, he attended Jones Junior College and Mississippi State University.
Early in World War II, the U.S. Navy sent him to Kentucky's University of Louisville for training in civil engineering. After training, he was commissioned as Ensign in the Seabees, The navy's Civil Engineering Corps, and was sent to the Pacific Theater of Operations, where he served on the island of Leyte in the Philippines. After the war he returned to the University of Louisville to complete his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering.
In January 1945, before leaving for the Pacific, he married Carolyn Heltsley, whom he had met at Louisville's Walnut Street Baptist Church while a student at the University. He and Carolyn ha three sons, David, Gerald, and Michael, Six grandchildren, and were married for fifty-six years.
Mr. Beard returned to Mississippi in 1947, where he served as a county engineer in Jones and Scott counties until 1957. In 1955, he went into the ready-mix concrete business in Forest, and later established Forest Constructors, a road and bridge construction company. He served in the Forest city government as alderman and mayor from 1969 to 1977. During his years of leadership in Forest, he served the Chamber of Commerce as President, long time board member and chairman of the Industrial Development Foundation. He was instrumental in assisting the Sunbeam and Chief Pierre Corporations in locating in Forest.
In 1977, having sold his businesses, he moved to Jackson, where he served as the executive director of the Mississippi Concrete Industries association until 1988, developing MCIA into on of the premiere concrete and aggregate associations in the country. From 1988 until 2004 he continued to serve the MCIA as a political consultant and Lobbyist.
He became active in the Mississippi Economic Council (MEC) in the early 1960's and was the MEC's chief spokesman for the adoption of the County Unit System, successfully lobbying the legislature for government across the state. He, along with other leaders of the MEC, led the initiative for statewide property reappraisal resulting in increased revenue for the municipalities of the state. In 1977- 1978 he served as the MED's chairman.
Active in the Boy Scouts of America since boyhood, Mr. Beard was awarded the Eagle badge in 1938. After World War II he served ad a scoutmaster in Louisville, Kentucky, Hattiesburg and Forest . He was awarded the Silver Beaver Award for his service in scouting.
A lifelong Southern Baptist, he served as a deacon in both the first Baptist Church in Forest and Faith Baptist church in Jackson. He taught Sunday School for over fifty years. Before a prolonged illness, he served as the treasurer of Faith Baptist Church.
Mr. Beard was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Dale, and his wife Carolyn.
He is survived by: his sister, Lois; his sons and daughters-in-law, his grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
The family wishes to thank Lauren Kalka for the loving care she gave our father.
In Lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Faith Baptist Church in Jackson, MS. and the Salvation Army.