Robert I. Beveridge

Springfield lost a beloved citizen with the passing of Robert I. Beveridge on December 9, 2023, at the age of 97. Known affectionately to his family as "Dad," to friends as "Dr. Bob," and to a few irreverent pals as "Tiny," Bob Beveridge practiced dentistry but loved sailing his sailboat and spending the days with Janet, his bride of over 78 years.
Bob was born September 15, 1926, in Lincoln, Nebraska to Dr. LeRoy and Esther Beveridge. They soon moved to the Kansas City area. School days included DeLaSalle High School, Kemper Military School, and Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. In 1944, Bob enlisted in the U.S. Navy, entering the V 12 program as a Midshipman. He graduated from the University of Kansas City School of Dentistry in 1948 and following a year of duty at Great Lakes Naval Base, established his dental practice in Wichita, Kansas. Dr. Beveridge continued Naval service as a dental officer during the Korean War stationed again at Great Lakes Naval Base and at the Hutchison, Kansas Naval Air Station.
By 1957, Bob and Janet moved to Springfield, Missouri and built a home in the country on East Mill Road. The Beveridge family had grown to include Mark, Linda, Martha, Dale, and Mary Ann. Dr. Beveridge's dental office at 1429 E. Sunshine was a busy place with many patients referring to him as the "painless dentist." The Beveridge children enjoyed visits to Dad's office, sitting in the dental chairs, opening drawers full of dental instruments, and completing small projects in the dental lab.
Following retirement in 1977, Bob and Janet lived for a few years in Dunedin, Florida but returned to Springfield to be closer to family. Bob's active lifestyle included foreign travel, British sports cars, sailing, golf, and sculpting. With a deep interest in art and with training at the Kansas City Art Institute, Bob crafted beautiful and whimsical sculptures of birds and animals in bronze, copper, and stone. Dr. Beveridge is survived by a brother and sister, his wife, Janet, five children, ten grandchildren, and fourteen great-grandchildren. Bob was a deeply humble and loving Christian gentleman. He will be missed by all who knew him.
Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 AM, Friday, December 15, 2023, at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home.