Beach Opperman

1957 - 2007

Beach W. Opperman, 49, passed away Sunday, Jan. 21, 2007, in Metairie, La. Beach was a resident of Keller.

Memorial service: 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 17, at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie.

Beach was born and raised in Miami, Fla. Following in the footsteps of his dad and grandfather, he became a thoroughbred horse trainer. He owned his first racehorse at the age of 9 and saddled his first winner at Hialeah Race Track in 1981. Beach owned and trained horses all over the United States, mostly with his younger brother, Richard Opperman. After the death of his younger brother, Beach moved his stable to Lone Star Park in 2000 and settled in Keller to be closer to his family. Most recently, Beach worked for Thoroughbred Transport Inc. out of Shreveport, La.

Beach loved this job, which enabled him to do the things he truly enjoyed -- travel, play with the horses, visit the race tracks, see his friends, play poker and meet new people every day.

Beach became paralyzed in early January from a shattered disc in his upper back. After two weeks in the hospital, he passed away due to respiratory problems, kidney failure, heart problems and a serious lung infection.

Survivors: His daughter, Kylene Opperman and his grandson, Anthony, of Melbourne, Fla.; sister, Wanda Stirling and brother-in-law, Kent, of Pembroke Pines, Fla.; sister, Sheryl Opperman and niece, Kristine Rehill, both of Keller; and many friends.