William T. Tommy Beale, Jr.
Chesapeake – William T. Beale, Jr., 90, formerly of Hampstead, N.C., went to be with the Lord and his bride peacefully at his residence on February 19, 2015. Born in Norfolk, Va., he was the son of the late William T. Beale and the late Bernice Gray Johnson Beale.
Tommy attended Maury High School and studied engineering at Old Dominion University. He served in the US Army during World War II in the 51st Compack Engineering Battalion in England, France, Belgium, and Germany. He received the Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, five battle stars, and was a Purple Heart recipient. He worked at the Naval Air Systems Command in Norfolk, Va., and Patuxent River Naval Station in Lexington Park, Md. An avid golfer, he and his wife, Gloria, moved to Hampstead, N.C. to play golf upon retirement in 1983.
He was predeceased by his wife of 67 years, Gloria, just two months before his own passing. He is survived by two daughters and two sons: Deborah A. Black, and husband, Keene, of Chesapeake, Va.; Roberta L. Thaxton, and husband, Gerald, of Pembroke Pines, Fla.; Ronald, T. Beale, also of Pembroke Pines, Fla.; and Kenneth L. Beale, of Guyton, Ga. Additionally, he is survived by six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
An anatomical donation was generously made to the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. A memorial service will be held on Friday, February 27, 2015, at Topsail Presbyterian Church, in Hampstead, N.C. at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the church or to Wounded Warrior Project. Condolences may be expressed to the family at altmeyer.com.
It was my great pleasure to have known Tommy the golfer and Tommy the man. Pound for pound, he was the best golfer at Topsail Greens and he was proud of his 13 hole-in-ones. Tommy will be missed by the Topsail Community and all his fellow golfers.