Birth date: Apr 13, 1963 Death date: Mar 16, 2020
Robert Cleve Beal was born in Flushing, NY on April 13, 1963 to Robert H. and Shirley C. Beal. He left this earth for his Eternal Home with his Savior on Monday, March 16, 2020 in Rowlett, TX where he resided with his loving wife, Read Obituary
Miss you Robert.
Cleve was a great friend to me between 1968-1978 when we lived on Gay Park Lane in Hacienda Heights, CA. He visited us after we moved to Gresham, OR in the summer of 1978. IN CA we used to play, "over-the-line" on the cul-de-sac with Kevin Farrell and my older brother, Guy. We'd use our baseball cards and a monopoly board with two dice to place a baseball board game we had invented; going around the neighborhood and challenging other kids with our favorite team and playing those cards until our winning streak ended. Then choose another team. Cleve was 5 when I first met him and he was wearing a little cowboy outfit with holsters and guns he had received from Bob and Shirley as a Christmas gift - super cute. :-) We miss Cleve and missed him much after we moved to Oregon. Lots of swimming, hide and go seek, baseball, HORSE, kid stuff! Great memories. I was so sad to hear he had passed and so young. May God bless his family. Ken Garrison 503-209-1820 (1961kgarrison@gmail.com).
I am so sorry for your loss. Robert and I were friends from kindergarten until we graduated from high school in 1981. I just learned last week of his passing at our 40th high school reunion.
Almost 40 years ago, Robert and I met at the new student orientation at Pepperdine University. Over the years, we would get together for an evening of drinks and discussion. Each time it picked up naturally like we had spoken the day before.
That first year at Pepperdine, Robert and I shared a few classes and lived in the same housing unit, but he did not have much to say. Due to dental surgery, his jaw was wired shut, so it was difficult for him to talk. What struck me that year was that Robert was driven and studied quite diligently even though he didn't need to. He was naturally brilliant, and coursework was easy for him. He was goofy in his own way but very intelligent at the same time.
One of the greatest shared experiences we had was a semester and summer abroad in Heidelberg, Germany. Lot's of beer and travel throughout Europe. That summer and those experiences forever bonded us as lifelong friends. In the ensuing years, we attended the ten-year reunion and shared a room in Santa Monica for the weekend, making sure to visit many of the places we frequented in college.
Robert called me ten years later and convinced me to help him organize a twenty-year reunion. With him Texas and me in Denver, we began to hunt down over fifty people across the country and get them to Santa Monica the event. Every day or two he would call and excitedly tell me who he found and what they were up to. We found all but two. Robert and I found a place for the reunion and figured the bar was perfect. The only thing we forgot was to arrange for food. It was a mad scramble to seat 30 people for dinner.
After graduating from Pepperdine, we both set out on different courses. Coincidently that led both of us being in Texas, he in DFW at EDS and me in Tyler. I frequently came up to Dallas on the weekend to see him, since Tyler was not known for its nightlife. He later moved to San Francisco for a while, and I was in Sacramento, so again we would get together.
More recently, my business brought me to Dallas every year or so. Robert and I would go out and have dinner and catch up. These dinners were a little better than the time we went to catch up at a petting zoo and had lunch with his young daughters.
In the last few visits, I sensed Robert truly happy and at ease with his life, career, and in love with his lovely wife, Cheryl. It was hard to head out from his house to dinner with so many of his delicious beers to try.
We had finally planned the trip back to Heidelberg this summer, and the tickets were purchased. Robert had agreed to give Sheri and me a master's course in beer that week. There were details to iron out, so I was not surprised to see his picture pop up on my phone announcing a text….not what I expected…shit he is gone.
I treasure my friendship with Robert and will remember him fondly.
Happy Birthday in Heaven, my love! I wish you were here to celebrate with me, our family, and our friends, but I know you're enjoying being with all who have gone before you. Love and miss you every second of the day.
I miss Robert! He and I were born a week apart, just a few miles apart, but didn’t meet until our freshman year at Pepperdine and have been best of friends ever since!!! We were roommates, leaders in our Fraternity, we visited orphanages in Mexico together, were baptized together in the Pacific at sunrise and so much more. Although we started at Pepperdine together, I got a 4 year degree in 5 years and by that time he had his undergraduate degree and was almost done with Law Degree!!! He was so smart and generously supported us for 20+ years in our orphan work in Africa. He also helped us build the Freedom Center here to help women that have been terribly abused. Cheryl was the love of his life and he adored his two daughters Ashley and Katie. He often spoke of you all and would never have chosen to leave you three wonderful ladies! He is now with Jesus and we have to trust that God knows what He is doing by taking Robert, even thought that is really tough! His deepest desire would be that we all know Jesus as he did. Please go to CRU.org for great resources on how to personally know God, so we can all be sure that when our time comes, we will be with Him and Robert!
