James William Beard

James "Jim" Beard passed away peacefully at the age of 64 surrounded by his family, after a courageously fought battle with cancer on November 14, 2024. He was born on April 9, 1960 in Akron, OH to James D. And Lillian Beard. Jim was a proud resident of Copley and 1978 graduate of Copley High School.

After receiving his Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Akron, Jim had a flourishing career in sales within the specialty and private label food industry. Even with increasing levels of responsibility at work, Jim always made sure he had time for his favorite things: his family, friends, and the outdoors. To his family, he was the best husband, father, and grandfather that anyone could ask for. To his friends, a dear and dependable companion. In his free time, Jim could be found mowing his impeccable yard, enjoying the summer sun on his boat at Portage Lakes, cruising in his Jeep, watching high school football, or taking the occasional four wheeling trip to West Virginia with his buddies.

Jim is survived by his wife Claudia, son Justin (Ashley), daughter Taylor (David), grandson Paxton, sister Lynn (Mickey), and beloved dog Tug. He is preceded in death by father James and mother Lillian.

Celebration of Life will be Wednesday, November 20, at 3:30pm at the Hummel Funeral Home, 3475 Copley Rd. Copley, with visitation to follow until 7:00pm.

The family would like to recognize and extend sincere gratitude to the Cleveland Clinic Fairview MICU and Taussig Cancer Center care teams for the tremendous support and care they provided.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to St. Luke's Church- Stage Four Ministry (https://stlukesakron.net/other/give-online) or Project Outrun (https://projectoutrun.org/donate).