Kenneth Marlin Beavers Sr.

Kenneth Marlin Beavers, Sr. passed away on January 8, 2017, surrounded by his children. He was born on December 26, 1927 to Allie Jackson Beavers, Sr. and Osie Vaughan Beavers in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Kenneth was a precocious child, creating a working telephone network for his neighborhood buddies out of copper wire he salvaged from old Motor A Ford ignition coils and strung on fence lines to their homes - with working, ringing telephones. He was an entrepreneur, always working at, or on, something. From the time he was around 11 years old until he was in high school, he delivered papers on his bicycle, riding from the intersection of 70 and 270 West to downtown, never calling in sick or missing a single day. As a teenager, he did freelance photography, selling pictures of vehicle accidents and fires to the newspaper and insurance companies; worked as the projectionist for the Roxy Theatre; began tinkering with and repairing radios; and soon after, began installing radios in cabs for the local taxicab company. A neighbor witnessing his electrical finesse told him he would help him get on at Reynolds Metals in Jones Mill. He began his career at Reynolds at 19, working his way up to Electrical Foreman. He retired from Reynolds after 40 years, then shortly after worked as a contractor for Reynolds International, traveling to China on two separate occasions for several months each time to assist with the installation, and then the equipment startup at a brand new plant located there. During his entire adult life, he always had a "second" job - first repairing televisions and radios and later becoming an Authorized Service Center for Lowrance Electronics. During this time, he did troubleshooting on these depth finders, often modifying Lowrance's new designs and making them perform better, much to the amazement of their engineers. He also modified a depth finder to locate drowning victims, and assisted the Garland County Sheriff's Department in searches. Kenneth was a HAM - amateur radio operator - call sign K5BOA, and a volunteer member of the Civil Air Patrol, gaining a position on the Wing Staff in Little Rock and reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. During his tenure, he was Net Control for Arkansas CAP Radio Net; a Ground Team member for Emergency Services; acted as Communication Base Station during many downed plane searches; and assisted in building the first radio repeater for Arkansas Wing. He held a lifetime FCC license. In 1951, he went to a program at St. Joseph's School of Nursing with a friend who was dating a nurse. At the top of the stairs, a beautiful young woman began singing and walking down the staircase - the most beautiful girl he had ever seen - and on December 5, 1953, that young woman, Melba Rae Mills became his wife. Kenneth and Melba Rae shared 63 years of life together - and live, they did! They and their children took yearly road trips and spent a lot of time on the lakes, they traveled to Hawaii and twice to Europe, and they bought an RV and made many road trips together. Their legacy of love for each other is an inspiration for the generations of family they began. Kenneth was predeceased by his beloved wife, his parents and his grandson, Kevin Marlin Crites, Sr. Left to cherish his memory are his most treasured: his beloved children, Karen Lou Beavers Bolton, Kenneth Marlin “Ken” Beavers, Jr. and wife, Chun Hi, Robin Kay Beavers Christensen and her husband, Scott (his favorite son-in-law); his grandchildren, Brian Keith Crites and Kenneth “Ray” Crites, Kenneth Marlin “Kenny” Beavers, III, Sarah Mae Beavers, Jacob Vaughan “Jake” Christensen and Adam Wyatt Christensen; 11 great grandchildren; Brother and Sister-in-law, Eugene and Louise Beavers and their children, Gary and wife Elizabeth, Wanda and husband John, and Lori and husband Jay; Nephew, Ray Beavers and wife Jodi. Visitation will be held at Hot Springs Funeral Home on Thursday, January 12, 2017, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., with funeral services to follow at 11:00 a.m. Pallbearers will be Bill Akins, Scott Christensen, Ray Crites, Jake Christensen, Adam Christensen and Larry Hankins. Honorary pallbearers are David Nichols, Brian Crites and Eddie Steadman. Memorials may be made to Hot Springs Baptist Church, 144 Weston Road, Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Kenneth Marlin Beavers Sr.

December 26, 1927 - January 8, 2017