Lewis Eugene Beals

Lewis Eugene "Gene" Beals

March 21, 1941 - June 15, 2025

Lewis Eugene "Gene" Beals, 84, of Bakersfield, California-long-time resident of Pennsylvania and beloved member of Gwynedd Square Presbyterian Church-passed away peacefully on Father's Day, June 15 2025, after a brief illness, surrounded by the family he adored.

Born in Bay City, Michigan, Gene was the younger son of Lewis Eliot Beals, a newspaper editor and gladiolus grower, and Marguerite (Straight) Beals, a Latin and English teacher who sparked his lifelong love of the arts and literature. A National Merit Scholarship finalist, he attended Case Institute of Technology on a full scholarship, walked on to the varsity track team, and furthered his two enduring passions - engineering and music - switching from clarinet to saxophone so he could earn spending money in a dance band.

After graduation he spent a year with a German engineering firm before joining IBM in the United States, earning the coveted 100% Club award. Recruited by Consumers Power Company to head its Engineering Section, he met computer-systems analyst Katherine Beals who would become his wife. They married in 1975, beginning fifty years of family and adventure.

The newlyweds first relocated to California and then settled outside Philadelphia for the next 47 years. There Gene founded AB Computers, widely credited as the first mail-order personal-computer company in the United States, selling computers and peripherals by catalogue and writing software, newsletters, and columns for early tech journals. After selling the company in the early 1980s, he started a smaller computer business so he could spend more time with family.

A scratch golfer and accomplished handball player in college, Gene later embraced racquetball, tennis, and-after returning to California in 2023-pickleball. He was a fearless board-game competitor, a poker-night regular, a master of mischievous jokes, and the man who made sure no restaurant leftovers ever went to waste. His lifelong love of learning was only matched by his love of family. He will be deeply missed.

Gene is survived by his loving wife, Katherine Beals; son Christopher (Kaeli Deane) Beals of Los Angeles, California and grandchildren Odin and Juno; daughter Jennifer Beals of Philadelphia; sister-in-law Ute Beals; nieces Sonja Beals Iribarren, Kirsten Beals, and Mona Becker and many in-laws and extended family members. He was preceded in death by his parents and by his brother, William "Bill" Beals.

Memorial Service

A celebration of Gene's life will be held Sunday, July 27, 2025 at 2 p.m. at Gwynedd Square Presbyterian Church, 837 Sumneytown Pike, Lansdale PA 19446, with a reception to follow.

Memorial Gifts

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Gwynedd Square Presbyterian Church (www.gwyneddsquare.org), honoring Gene's lifelong commitment to learning, music, and community.