Wendell R. Beard's Obituary
Wendell R. Beard of Miami, FL passed away on May 2, 2012, in his home at the age of 84. He was born on June 15, 1927 in Watertown, Tennessee. A graduate of Tennessee Tech University, he served his country in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
He retired from Ryder Systems, Inc. as Executive Vice President in 1994 after 17 years in various leadership positions at the company. He was responsible for corporate public relations, advertising, government relations, special events and the Ryder Foundation, whose mission is to provide funding to organizations that research the environmental causes of autism and effectively treat afflicted children. During his tenure at Ryder he served as the Vice Chairman and Chief Operations Officer of the Doral-Ryder Open for 15 years, raising more than $10 million for the American Cancer Society.
Mr. Beard served on the Board of Trustees of Baptist Health since 1992. He was Vice Chair of the Board, and a member of the Executive Committee, Compensation Committee, Facilities Committee, and Governance Committee. He also served on the Board of Directors of Homestead Hospital and West Kendall Baptist Hospital. He was a founding member of the Nat Moore Foundation which is dedicated to providing educational, cultural and recreational activities to disadvantaged South Florida children and youth, ages 5 to 18. He was a Director of the Doral Country Club in Miami and member of the Orange Bowl Committee. He was a noted speaker in demand by the trucking industry, business and civic groups.
He was a proud supporter of various community charities including Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. To recognize his continual efforts for the betterment the Miami community, he was inducted into the South Florida Sports Hall of Champions as a Lifetime Contributor to Sports in 2001. In addition, he was elected Man of the Year in South Florida by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
He was a member of Kendall United Methodist Church which he loved and served in many different capacities. He had a strong faith in God, was always optimistic, loved people and was always available to help others in any way he could. He endeared himself to everyone with his kind, gracious spirit and gregarious sense of humor.
Mr. Beard is survived by his wife of 59 years, Carolyn, and four children: Bob Beard and wife Jan; John Beard and wife Mary; Sandy Rhodes and husband Bob; Jim Beard and wife Mercy; and seven grandchildren - Hastings, Reid, Ryan, Scott, Webb, Nicholas and Amanda.
The family will be receiving friends on Saturday, May 5, 2012 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Van Orsdel Funeral Home, 11220 North Kendall Drive, Miami, FL 33176.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 19, at 11 am at the Kendall United Methodist Church.
In lieu of flowers, if desired, contributions may be made to Kendall United Methodist Church, 7600 SW 104 Street, Miami, FL 33156.
What’s your fondest memory of Wendell?
What’s a lesson you learned from Wendell?
Share a story where Wendell's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Wendell you’ll never forget.
How did Wendell make you smile?
