John David Beard

Dr. John David Beard, 75, passed away peacefully Tuesday, August 10th, 2022 in Canton, MI with family by his side.

He is survived by his children; Celena (Benjamin), Vanessa, and Parker (Danielle), grandchildren; Kaylee and Cameron; partner Peggy; sister Diane (Bob); former spouse Deborah Kay; as well as nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. His was preceded in death by parents Thomas and Nellie; and sister Janice.

John was born May 18, 1947 in Detroit, MI. A lifetime Detroiter, John had a passion for music and spoke fondly of attending Motown performances at Detroit's riverfront venue, the Rooster Tail. Another musical highlight for John was attending an intimate Frank Sinatra performance in one of Miami's small clubs in the 1960s. It was his love for live music that lead John to meeting Deborah Kay at a Blues club while he was attending University of Michigan. John received his Doctorate in English from U of M in 1979. In 1981, he married Deborah and they raised three children together. John earned a tenured position as a Professor in the MBA program at Wayne State University and remained there for 25 years.

Along with music, John had a variety of interests that spanned from reading his large library of literature to coaching his son's middle school lacrosse team. A fervent fan of U of M football, John enjoyed season tickets for many years and decorated his condo in his beloved "maize and blue". John found peace in nature and spent as much time outside as possible; biking and cross-country skiing across the metro parks. He also took cinema took very seriously; even writing movie reviews in his local newspaper.

During retirement, John and his partner Peggy spent winters in Florida. Fans of the Kentucky horse races, they drove to Florida so they could pass through Kentucky and enjoy some of their favorite bourbons. John had a taste for indulgence and had a lifetime affair with ice cream. He enjoyed fine dining with Peggy and they enjoyed many happy dinners during his golden years.

Socially, John took pride in maintaining friendships with his boyhood friends from Detroit's west side. His lifetime friends, Ron Castori and Steve Llama, predeceased him and he is survived by John Black. John also kept in touch his alumni from Detroit's Cody High School and made a point to attend their annual reunions.

Of all of his hobbies, John enjoyed spending time with his 3 children the most and never missed an opportunity to brag to a stranger about their achievements. They hope to honor him by continuing his legacy of "making one person laugh everyday." John passed days before the arrival of his grandson, Cameron, but would've been ecstatic to meet him. He was over the moon when becoming a grandfather to Kaylee.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association.