Richard Beaubouef Sr.

Richard T. Beaubouef, Sr., went to join the Lord on July 6, 2018. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, and grandfather.

Richard is pre-deceased by his wife of 57 years, Joan Carol Peterson Beaubouef, who joined the Lord on August 25, 2016. He is survived by sons Richard T. Jr. (Rick) and Bruce Andre (Andy); and grandsons, Quinton, John, and Henry and their Mother Tamra Beaubouef.

Richard was born to Silton Troy Beaubouef and wife Eleanor Younger Beaubouef in Alexandria, Louisiana, on February 23, 1936. After graduating from Bolton High School (Alexandria) in 1954, Richard received a scholarship to attend the University of Houston.

At 23 years of age, he graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering and a Bachelor of Applied Science in mechanical technology in the summer of 1959. He later entered the graduate program in mechanical engineering at Rice University, earning a PhD in mechanical engineering from that institution in 1968.

Richard met Joan on a blind date in October 1957, when she was a student nurse at the Lillie Jolly School of Nursing. They dated for two years before becoming engaged, and then married in October 1959. After Richard accepted a job with Boeing, he and Joan began their life together in Seattle, Washington, where son Rick was born in 1960. Richard and Joan returned to Houston, Texas, in 1963, gave birth to Andy in 1966 and settled in Pearland in 1969.

After completing his PhD, Richard joined the engineering faculty at the University of Houston, where he taught Thermodynamics for six years. The study of thermodynamics became a specialized area of expertise for him, and for many years he was one of the leading authorities on the topic in his field.

In 1975 Richard accepted the position of Principal Mechanical Engineer in the Power Plant Engineering and Construction Department (PPE&C) at Houston Lighting & Power (HL&P). In 1976 he was promoted to Manager of the Mechanical Engineering Group of PPE&C where he managed the mechanical engineering and design efforts for nuclear, coal and lignite power plants. When electrical power generation markets became deregulated in the state of Texas in the early 1990s, he accepted an early retirement package from HL&P in 1992.

Richard and Joan were both strong in their Christian faith and for many years attended Garden Villas Baptist Church in Houston, where they were married. They continued to serve with their two young sons, Rick and Andy, as Directors of Primary Department and Richard taught Sunday School classes.

Besides his life in the church, Richard had strong interests in woodworking, and he and Joan participated for many years in the Sunshiners Square Dance Club and the Greater Houston Bromeliad Society.

Throughout the years, both Rich and Joan enjoyed hosting many events and get togethers with family and friends, and many of those visitors often said that their house in Pearland became a second home to them when needed, and a place they could always visit for fellowship and words of encouragement.

Richard also became a virtuoso with his acoustic Martin guitar, a hobby he had taken up as a young man. In those early years, he attained a measure of local fame after playing and singing on WROX, a radio station in Clarksdale, Mississippi. His favorite style of music to play and listen to was American bluegrass, along with some early American rock-roll/pop songs. As a young man, he had been trained in vocal and singing, and had participated in the choir at church in Alexandria. In his 30s and 40s, Richard delighted family members and friends with his talents singing and playing abilities at parties and Christmas get-togethers.

In retirement, he focused on woodworking, where he produced furniture and many long-enduring wood products that family members enjoy to this day. Upon Joan's retirement in the mid-1990s, they both enjoyed traveling about the country with family and friends, visiting many sites of natural beauty in the US and Canada.

In the early 2000s, Richard and Joan rejoined the church, this time becoming members of the First United Methodist Church in Pearland, where they both attended until their declining health prevented regular participation. But for many years, they gave back to the community by participating in several church and community programs, including the "meals on wheels" services that delivered meals to home-bound senior citizens.

When the field of engineering needed his talents again, he took up the call of teaching once more. In the early 2000s he re-joined the engineering faculty at the University of Houston, where he became an adjunct professor and taught Thermodynamics once again. In this second stint at UH, he received several awards for excellence in teaching. Many students who went through his course became professionals in the fields of engineering, and continued to rely on his advice and benefit from his friendship even after they graduated.

Richard upheld the value of education throughout his life, a value that had been instilled in him by his mother Eleanor; a value that was supported by his wife Joan. That value was instilled in his sons Rick and Andy, and it has enabled them - and others - to move forward with success in their chosen career paths. He was an avid reader, maintaining a personal library of books and magazines that he readily shared with others and was always happy to discuss. After retiring from his adjunct position at UH, he authored several scholarly articles on the topic of Thermodynamics that were published in international technical journals.

Bolstered by his strong Christian faith and the love of his wife and family, Richard was a kind and caring person, and always had time to listen to the troubles of others, dispensing sage and kindly advice to numerous friends and family members, who readily sought his expertise and wisdom on matters on any number of life issues. In the Christian fashion, he was slow to anger and quick to forgive, and he was always available to listen to the thoughts and concerns of others, and many looked to him for guidance. He had a keen intellect and interest in several topics, from his Christian faith to current events to history, and science and technology. He had a keen sense of humor, and always maintained a cool equilibrium and a cheerful, positive attitude. He was always willing and ready to engage in deep conversations on almost any topic, a trait that further endeared him to his family, friends, and colleagues.

He will be dearly missed by the large community of family and friends that he developed over the course of a lifetime. We take consolation in the belief that he has received his reward in heaven, and that he has been re-united with Joan, the love of his life.

A celebration of Richard's life will be held on Thursday, July 12, 2018 at the First United Methodist Church Pearland, 2314 N Grand Blvd, Pearland, Texas. Visitation will be held at 10:00 am with the funeral service following at 11:00 am. Interment will follow at Forest Park East in Webster, Texas.

Condolences may be sent to the Beaubouef family in care of Jeter Memorial Funeral Home at www.jeterfuneralhome.com.