John Beard Obituary

John Ross Beard, Jock to his family, died on December 22, surrounded by his wife and four daughters, after a short, precipitous decline in health. He was 82.
An Anchorage resident of over 50 years, Jock arrived in Alaska at age 27, with a University of Chicago law degree and idealistic hopes for the young state's future. At the time, he told a reporter from his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, that he was looking for a place where "something was happening, but it hadn't happened yet." Jock worked as a legislative aide for Governor Miller, then left Juneau to practice private law. The First National Bank of Alaska was a key client until his retirement forty years later.
Jock's civic contributions included serving on the boards of the Anchorage Opera Company and of Alaska Children's Service, where he met his wife Stuart Wilson Beard. Upon retirement, he volunteered with the FISH food pantry and the Downtown Soup Kitchen. He was a beloved member of First Presbyterian Church. An abiding lover of opera and a fine figure in a tuxedo, Jock sang bass with the Anchorage Concert Chorus and the Basically Bach Festival.
He was frequently found on the couch, Beethoven blaring, atlas on the floor, giant history book on his stomach, mid-nap. He spent hours at the grill, pondering the crossword and minding the ribs. As the father of not one but four articulate, uncowed daughters whose errant beliefs ranged from irritating political correctness to potential communism, he had to be on guard! He copy-edited school papers, argued with their conclusions, and sometimes even conceded a point with a sotto voce change in behavior.
He liked buying ice cream on sale, and loved feeding it to grandchildren. With each successive wave of children at his kitchen table, he became more patient, curious and delighted with the young people who confounded him. His love and admiration were our central experience of him.
He is sorely missed by his four daughters–Kate, Elizabeth, Martha and Samantha–eight grandchildren, his wife Stuart and her entire family of Wilsons, as well as a brother, Benjamin Beard of Moscow, Idaho, a sister, Martha Doukas of Richmond, Virginia, and extended Beard kin. A memorial service is planned for Sunday, June 22 at 2 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Anchorage, 616 W. 10th Ave.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Anchorage FISH at fishcharity.org.
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