James Roy Beard, Sr.

James Roy Beard, Sr., age 86, of China, Texas, passed peacefully Saturday, November 21, 2020, after a long battle with dementia. “Roy” was born October 17, 1934, in Boaz, Kentucky, to the late Rollie Roy Beard and Dorothy James Beard and was the loving husband of Connie S. Lange Beard. He was a life-long meat cutter (and could brag he still had all his fingers) and in his younger years worked many other colorful jobs including telephone lineman, riverboat crewman, shoe factory worker, timber cutter, shrimper, and farmer/cattleman. Throughout the years, his hobbies included hunting, fishing, beekeeping, gardening, and grass cutting (he loved his vintage Snapper mowers). Roy was a long standing member of Westgate Church of Christ and loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather and will be deeply missed.

In addition to Connie, his wife of thirty-three years, he is survived by two sons, James Beard, Jr. (Anita) of Elizabeth City, North Carolina and Cornell Beard (Tina) of Troup, Texas; and two stepsons, Russell Lange (Terri) of Sugarland, Texas and Randal Lange (Joyce) of Silsbee, Texas and a host of cherished grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. He is also survived by two very special sisters, Patricia Wood (Harold) and Martha Eicholz (Jerry), both of Paducah, Kentucky and younger brother, Jerry Beard (Judy) of Folsomdale, Kentucky.

A funeral service for Mr. Beard will be at 12:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 25, 2020, at Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont, with his interment to follow at China Cemetery, China.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Compass Hospice of East Texas, 1115 North 4th Street, Longview, Texas 75601.

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