John 'Jack' Frederick Beard

Jack Beard, 96, of Curwensville, Pennsylvania passed away at Penn Highlands Clearfield after a brief illness. He was a resident at Colonial Courtyard, Clearfield.

He was the son of Lewis F. and Cora E (George) Beard of Clearfield. Jack is survived by his daughter Denise D. Beard (Dee) of Columbus, Ohio, and his daughter-in-law Tonda (Tubbs) Beard of Curwensville and many grand-nieces and grand-nephews and their families. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife Doreen (Sample), his son F. Douglas Beard, brothers David W. Beard, Richard L Beard, George L Beard, Daniel L. Beard, Arthur C. Beard and sister Ruth B. Shear.

Jack was a graduate of Clearfield High School, class of 1947. In his early life, he was employed by the LF and JB Beard Service Station as an attendant and fuel truck driver. It was not long until he started the Curwensville Motor and Taxi Service in with his brother Dave in 1950. From 1951-1953 he served in the U. S Army as Sergeant First Class and leader of a Tank Battalion in Germany and then returned to Curwensville. Tragedy struck in 1961 when a fire destroyed the Curwensville Motor and Taxi Service. After the fire, Jack rebuilt a similar sized building on the site and Goodman's Foodliner still operates at this location today. From tragedy to opportunity, his father Lewis thought that he would like to go back into the wholesale oil business and they started the Beard Oil Company which served the surrounding communities for the next thirty years until his retirement in 1991. In 1995 Jack partnered and co-operated a tannery in Girard, PA until 2000.

Throughout his life, Jack was active in many community organizations in the Curwensville and Clearfield area. He was a long time member of the Curwensville United Methodist Church serving on several committees and was the "Voice of God" for The Search for Peace Christmas pageant until 2019. Jack served as a board member of Keystone Bank from the early 1980s until it merged with Penn Bank and others to form Integra Bank in 1991. Jack was part owner and secretary of the Curwensville Nursing Home when it was built and a served as a board member of the Clearfield Hospital for several years. Jack was the Fire Chief in Curwensville from 1960 - 1962. He was a longtime member of the Curwensville Lions Club, Masonic Lodge #314 (32nd degree Mason) and of the Jaffa Shrine Altoona, PA. In his retirement Jack enjoyed being with his friends and family, collecting and restoring cars, working on projects in his wood shop, mowing grass, hunting and enjoying the great out-of-doors.

Private Funeral services to be scheduled at the convenience of the family. Internment will be at Oak Hill Cemetery in Curwensville. Beardsley Funeral Home & Crematory is in charge of arrangements.

The family would like to express their sincere appreciation for the numerous friends and neighbors who visited and helped Jack (and family) in his later years with transportation needs or to share the daily news or a story. The family also would like to express much appreciation to the wonderful care provided to Jack by Penn Highlands Healthcare for Home and all of the staff at Colonial Courtyard for their care and support.

In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial contributions to the Curwensville United Methodist Church 602 State Street Curwensville, PA 16833 and to the Oak Hill Cemetery 560 Maxwell Street Curwensville, PA 16833.

To sign the online guest book, visit www.beardsleyfuneralhome.com.