Walter’s Obituary Walter John Beal Sr., 97, passed peacefully Tuesday January 29, following complications from a fall. He was surrounded by family and friends at his home at Brightview Mays Chapel Ridge in Timonium, MD. Born in Baltimore, MD on November 2, 1921, he was the son of George Beal, a tailor, and Anna (Somulawisautie) Beal, a coat feller.
He attended high school at Baltimore City College, and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Baltimore. In July of 1949 he married Millicent Gibson. Together they had three children: Millicent Beal Morris, Walter John Beal, Jr., and Timothy Lawrence Beal.
Prior to his marriage Mr. Beal served as a Corporal in the Army Air Force at the end of World War II, training to be a pilot. He then spent 24 years as an engineer at Martin Marietta in Middle River, MD, and was heavily involved in the Project Mercury, Project Gemini and Apollo space programs. In the late 1960s he began working at the US Naval Department’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command in Alexandria, VA, until his retirement 20 years later.
Mr. Beal firmly believed that education was a person’s most valuable asset, and consistently encouraged his children to pursue higher levels of learning. “Even as children, learning continued every evening at dinner in the forms of word and number games, puzzles and spelling quizzes. If we didn’t know how to spell a word, Dad would say ‘Go look it up in the dictionary’, which was difficult to do if you didn’t know how to spell it, but it taught us how to figure things out for ourselves,” said his daughter Millicent.
During his life he demonstrated an exceptional work ethic, focusing on every detail of a project to get it right the first time. That trait, perhaps more than any other, defined his approach to life and its challenges. He excelled at DIY home projects, teaching himself carpentry, masonry, and auto repair.
And, much to his wife’s dismay, he and Walt Jr. once rebuilt a VW engine on the kitchen table. He loved the Orioles, cheering and agonizing over every game through the years, and he loved the “Baltimore” Colts with Johnny Unitas. He was also an avid tennis fan, and considered Roger Federer to be the greatest tennis player of all time.
He greatly enjoyed his garden in Jarrettsville, and believed his tomatoes to be the best in Harford County. When not gardening, he enjoyed spending time at his property in Ocean City, MD, volunteering at the annual chicken dinners at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Harford County, family camping trips, playing with his dogs Chap and Keeya, and telling stories with an extremely dry wit to anyone who would listen. He will be remembered as a kind soul with a gentle spirit, who tried every day to make the world a better place.
In addition to his three children and their spouses Richard Morris, Neda (Kolega) Beal and Deanna (Heitkotter) Beal, he is survived by grandchildren Stephanie Tedford and her husband Brody, Jacqueline Beal and her husband Corey Polyoka, Mark Beal and his wife Lindsay, and Jennifer Beal. He is also survived by great-grandchildren Michaela, Cooper, Jacob and Graham, nephew-in-law and best friend Gene Marsiglia, and good friend Arlene Hammel. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Albert T. Beal and sister-in-law Helen Seth Beal, and his wife of 66 years, Millicent Gibson Beal.
A viewing and prayer service will be held Monday, February 4 at Ruck Funeral Home, 1050 York Rd. , Towson, MD 21204, from 1:00 pm until 2:00 pm, a which time a funeral service will begin. Interment will be held Thursday, February 7 at 10:45 am at Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery in Owings Mills, MD.
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