Barry Dwayne Beavers

Barry Beavers, 60, escaped this mortal realm on June 29th, 2024, leaving behind approximately 10 unfinished model airplanes, one unopened bottle of Johnny Walker, a Costco sized box of Nutty Buddys, one cranky bulldog, and a multitude of other items that could have proved useful in the event of a zombie apocalypse.

Barry is survived by his overly-patient and loving wife Jayne, the love of his life who endured not only unimaginable snoring for the duration of their marriage, but the difficult job of raising and homeschooling their three impossible children as a Air Force Spouse. Barry adored and was adored by many people who miss him dearly. These include his daughters Halye (Dakota) Ford and Taylor (Fred) Tkach, his son, Beau Beavers, Sister Angie ("Miss Piggy") Lingefelt, Grandchildren: Coral and Tilly Ford ("Muppet" and "Poppet"), Marlowe Tkach ("Princess"), Bulldog Jackson and countless nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Barry is also survived by his mother, Zackie Beavers and brother Clint (Wyatt) Beavers. Barry is preceded in death by his father, Wayne Beavers, and brother, Sammy Beavers.

Barry graduated from Cherokee High School in Canton, GA. At a young age (possibly influenced by his love for Star Wars), he decided he wanted to be a pilot. For some people this may have been a pipe dream, but one of the things about Barry was his ability to actually do the impossible, all while making it look easy. He often fondly told a story of an Army recruiter in Georgia, who laughed in his face, saying "No one from Cherokee County is ever going to be a pilot." But boy, was he wrong.

Barry enlisted in the Navy at the young age of 17, and was sent to China Lake, California. He spent much of this time as a Search and Rescue Swimmer, in a helicopter, rescuing stranded hikers, attending car accidents and even relocating the occasional Big Horn sheep. During his Navy service he received the prestigious Navy Commendation Medal. When his time in the Navy ended he obtained his Bachelors Degree (Embry Riddle Aeronautical University) and joined the Air Force as an Officer, and began his journey of becoming a pilot.

The story of how Barry met Jayne is too long, too unique and unbelievable for a space like this. Suffice to say it put most Hollywood rom-coms to shame, and includes getting kicked out of a bar, an anonymous phone call, a broken leg, a date which involved a wedding dress purchase, and a proposal in the drive thru of a McDonalds, over two big macs, no cheese. These two always would have found each other, as they truly were meant to be. But they found each other early, and were thus blessed with many years and adventures before Barry's untimely departure. They were married at the young age of 21, not quite a year after they met, and began their whirlwind life together. Together, they pursued their relationship with God, which would be the strong foundation of their lives.

Barry was able to become a pilot in the Air Force, while being a father to three kids, obtaining his Masters Degree, and diligently studying the Word of God. The Air Force demanded a lot of the family, relocating them every 1-3 years, they lived all over the country from Daytona Beach, FL, San Antonio, TX, Fairfield, CA, and even a year in Guam. They were able to travel all over the world and see and experience amazing things (to varying degrees of appreciation from the kids). Barry worked hard, and long, but whenever he was home he was fully home, and gave everything to his family. He was there for them individually, with things like one-on-one dates to Waffle House, in acts of service such as coaching Soccer teams, or as a group, such as pretending to be an egg-stealing dinosaur in the backyard.

Barry retired from the Air Force after of 21 service in 2009. He began a new phase of life in Savannah, GA with FlightSafety. When his first Grandchild was born, and the second was on her way, Barry and Jayne did the impossible (for everyone else, but quite typical for them) and sold the house, left their home, obtained a new job with Boeing, and migrated to the opposite end of the country in Washington state, just so they could all be close together. He acted like it was the most normal thing in the world, to give up your life for your family, but we know now it isn't normal, and how exceptional he really was.

His faith was of the utmost importance to him. He did not just believe in the Word of God, he lived it in every way possible, putting others before himself, leading his family, and dedicating countless hours to supporting missionaries, helping with his children's youth groups, ministering to all who would hear, and pouring himself into studying Theology. But even if you did not know these things about him, you would see his faith in the way he loved his family, his neighbor, and everyone around him, as if it truly was what he was meant to do. Many believe in Jesus, but few live in a way where this love is apparent, from the outside, as Barry did.

He enjoyed many things. Among those things were Lord of the Rings, filling his backyard with useless plants, giving the 'Jeep wave' while driving around in his Wrangler, theorizing on where BigFoot was actually hiding, 'just browsing' at Home Depot, War movies/documentaries, and learning to cook or build just about anything.

He was an anomaly. He loved jalapeno poppers, provided they had NO cream cheese, he loved steak, as long as it had no pink inside. He loved helping with his sons Boy Scout troup, despite having a strong dislike for camping. He loved flying, but hated traveling without his family. He loved good food, but preferred familiar fast food when travelling abroad. He hated crowds, but loved going with his family to Disney World.

Barry died knowing he was returning to his heavenly home. Before leaving, he taught us many invaluable lessons, like not to take ourselves too seriously, how to swim out of a rip tide, that Tropic Thunder was peak comedy, or that if you add enough Ketchup or Sugar to anything, it'll make it edible.

Barry was an ardent and fervent believer in Jesus Christ, and knew that his time on earth was limited and unpromised. He lived his life in this way, doing things that his family sometimes considered financially reckless, (such as taking 3 toddlers to Disneyland, long before they could fully enjoy or remember it), or paying for his childrens' education (only one of which was successful). When criticized for going the extra mile, for doing things that others thought wasn't necessary, he always responded that he couldn't take his money with him when he left, and that you never really knew how long you had.

When any crisis, in any capacity, happened, wether it was in his immediate or extended family, Barry was the one to pick up the pieces. He planned funerals for his brother, he flew spouses out for support when his children couldn't afford to. He took care of everything, for everyone, all of the time. We are left now with a void that cannot be filled. Were we each to step up and give 150% to each other, we would still collectively fall short of the support he gave to us. We are left navigating this impossible reality, and learning to be the Barry for each other. We are incompetent, but if there's one thing we have learned from him, its that life is too short, and to give what you have when you can, and that even if it seems silly to others, it will make an impact, forever.

Tremendous and heartfelt thanks go to the truly exceptional nurses at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, and the EMTs from Pierce County Fire & Rescue, who provided much more than care for Barry, but also a compassionate and intimate environment during his sudden transition from this life to the next. In our hour of need, they were there, with all that they had, and we are eternally grateful.

An intimate service with close family and friends will be held in Bonney Lake, Washington, on 7/15/24.

In lieu of flowers, please write and send memories you have of Barry to his daughter, who is compiling a book to treasure for many years to come. No memory is too silly, or too small, and all would be cherished. Thank you.

Halye Ford, 30463 4th Ave S., Federal Way, WA 98003