John Alden Beals

1925 - 2021

John Alden Beals

May 19, 1925 - April 12, 2021

ALBANY - John Alden Beals loved Lake George. He lived most of his life along its shores. He was a skilled and avid sailor. He was a renowned iceboat designer, builder and racer. At one point he held the world speed record for iceboats. Boats such as those Beals built would routinely travel at speeds in excess of 60 miles per hour, with speed records reaching 140 miles per hour. An eighteen foot Yankee Class Iceboat designed and built by John is on display at Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake. He died on April 12, 2021.

Scrubby, as he was known to his good friends, got the nickname when his mother observed he was "like a scrub pine, short and sturdy" in his youth. He was born May 19, 1925 in Warrick, RI to his parents Phyllis E. Beals and Granville Ames Beals.

John attended Skidmore College, in the first class that included men. He graduated in 1950 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. Throughout his college years he was a member of the U.S. Navy Reserve, receiving certification as an Aviation Metalsmith. He later went on to serve in the U.S. Navy, leaving military service in 1959.

John spent most of his business career in the paper industry, where he was known at virtually every paper mill in the northeast. His invention of a specialized valve used in the manufacture of paper was one of the highlights of his career.

John is survived by his five children: Phyllis Elizabeth Beals, Barbara Louise Beals, Lydia Ellen Beals (High), Granville Ames Beals, and his youngest, Bruce Alden Beals. Also surviving is the mother of his children Emily Beals.