Reverend Dr. James Hiram Beasley Jr.

Reverend Dr. James Hiram Beasley, Jr

Reverend Dr. James Hiram Beasley, Jr, age 81, died March 28, 2020, following prolonged illness and 40 days of hospice.

He is preceded in death by: father James "Hiram" Beasley, Sr., and mother Norine Hussey Beasley. He is survived by: loving wife of 58 years Caroline Danielle (Dani) Chadwick Beasley, younger brother Thomas Lawrence "Larry" Beasley (Kitty), daughter Laura Elizabeth Beasley Lockett Yaros (Michael), son James "Trey" Hiram Beasley, III, (Jean), granddaughter Sarah Ellen Lockett Ford (Cody), grandson Clay Chadwick Lockett, grandson James "Quade" Hiram Beasley IV, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

The present pandemic deprives us of coming together for a funeral/memorial service. We will come together for a Celebration of Life at a later date.

As an involved, devoted United Methodist minister, Jim Beasley served literally thousands of people. When I questioned my own faith, Daddy wrote me a letter regarding doubt and faith that I would like to share. In short:

If one believes that Jesus of Nazareth gave us the example of how life should be lived, and in his willingness to die to preserve his unconditional love for all people (including those responsible for his death), then you have faith in God as Jesus represents God. More especially, we have faith in the way of Jesus. The early church called itself "followers of the way." If you believe it is right to "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," then you have a faith in the rightness of the Christian way of life. If you believe it is right to promote following this way throughout the world and if everybody followed "the way" it would lead to peace on earth and good will among all people, then you have faith that Jesus' way is the salvation (the hope) of the world. If you believe you should do good, even to those who are mean to you--if you believe that people should feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, heal the sick, care for the dying---then you have faith. If you believe LOVE is the way, then you have faith. Every time you act lovingly toward another person, that is an affirmation of faith.

Jim served a circuit of five different small churches including Bethesda UMC early on in his career as a minister. He and Dani then served at Edmonson Heights in Nashville, Baxter UMC as senior pastor, then as associate in Cookeville. Laura and Trey were born while they served at Baxter and Cookeville. They moved to Clarksville in 1970 where they served at Hilldale UMC until 1976, moved to serve Hermitage UMC for 6 years, and moved again to the Green Hills area of Nashville to serve Calvary UMC from 1982-1991. Jim and Dani then went to Crossville First UMC, where they served for 11 years before building a retirement home in Crossville.

As an outdoorsman, fisherman, camp director, and internationally recognized bamboo flyrod maker, Jim demonstrated his love of "all creatures great and small."

At the end of the his most recent television feature, Jim says, "The things humanity has done to nature and each other is terrible. What we have been given is not. It's Wonderful!"

Jim devoted his life to the United Methodist Church. If you are so inclined, we think he would appreciate donations to the church in his remembrance.