Robin Beard Jr.

BEARD, JR., Robin The Honorable Robin L. Beard, Jr., 67, of Isle of Palms, SC, husband of Cathy Beard entered into eternal rest on Saturday, June 16, 2007. Visitation will be held Wednesday, June 20, 2007, at J. Henry Stuhr Mount Pleasant Chapel from five until eight o'clock. Funeral Services will be held at the Protestant French Huguenot Church, the corner of Church and Queen Streets, at ten thirty a.m. on Thursday, June 21, 2007. Suggested parking is located in the Cumberland Street parking garage. ARRANGEMENTS BY J. HENRY STUHR, INC. MOUNT PLEASANT CHAPEL. Mr. Beard, son of the late Robin Leo Beard and Dorothy Damon Beard, was born on August 21, 1939, in Knoxville, TN. A graduate of Nashville's prestigious Montgomery Bell Academy and Vanderbilt University where he was a member of the Sigma Chi International Fraternity. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, he retired as a Colonel in the U.S.M.C. Reserves. Mr. Beard was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1972 and served five terms representing the 6th District of Tennessee which extended from the outskirts of Nashville to the suburbs of Memphis. Mr. Beard was the first Republican elected to represent that district since Reconstruction and it has remained a Republican seat ever since. While in Congress he was recognized for his efforts to build a strong national defense, advocated fiscal responsibility and provided excellent constituent services. Mr. Beard served two separate Presidential appointments (1984-1987 and 1991-1995) as Assistant Secretary General of NATO in Brussels. Mr. Beard served during two very unique periods including the Cold War and after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Mr. Beard was instrumental in developing relationships with the newly freed Eastern Block countries and helped them with the establishment of requirements for their national defense and laid the groundwork for many of their memberships to NATO. For his accomplishments as Assistant Secretary General, he received the Department of Defense's highest award for Distinguished Service and the Department of State's Superior Honor Award. He authored many published articles on NATO, arms control and other defense issues including Agenda for Defense: A Congressional Perspective (Strategic Review, Winter, 1981) for which he received the National Freedom Foundation Award. Mr. Beard most recently served as a Distinguished Lecturer for the National Defense University's Near East South Asia Center. In this role he helped educate high-ranking government officials of the Middle Eastern and North African countries including Iraq, Afghanistan and Israel on the political structure of the U.S. Congress. Mr. Beard was the President of Government Relations for the Raytheon Company in which he directed the company's liaison with the Executive and Legislative branches. Prior to that, Mr. Beard served as President of Raytheon International and Chairman of Hughes Europe in which he was responsible for all of the marketing activities throughout Europe, Israel, the Community of Independent States and Africa. He is survived by his wife of forty two years; two daughters, Lisa Beard Boland and her husband David of Pascagoula, MS, and Bettina Louise Beard of Isle of Palms, SC; one son, Robin John Beard and his wife Jeanne of Alexandria, VA; grandchildren Halie, and Robin Beard, Edward, Bettina and James Boland; one brother William Damon Beard and his wife Mary of Nashville, TN; one sister, Rochelle Beard Barthel and her husband, Ken, of Bon Aqua, TN; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. Mr. Beard most recently served on the Board of the Charleston Ballet Theatre and Chairman of the French Huguenot Church Board of Elders. A special interest of his was helping Sanders Clyde Elementary School. He enjoyed his family, especially following the progress of his grandchildren of whom he was very proud, golfing with his many buddies, and walking his beloved poodles! In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Charleston Ballet Theater, 477 King Street, Charleston, SC, 29403 or The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, 825 College Blvd, Suite 102, POB 609, Oceanside, CA, 92057. A memorial message may be written to the family by visiting our website at www.jhenrystuhr.com. Visit our guestbook at www.charleston.net/deaths.