of Harrison, AR

April 15, 1943 - October 21, 2020

Charles Edward Beaver, Jr., passed away peacefully with his family by his side on Wednesday, October 21, 2020, at Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, from COVID-19. He was born April 15, 1943, in Pittsburg, Kansas to Marjorie Christina Nielson Sinnott, and he was named Anthony Francis Sinnott, Jr. As an infant, he was blessed to be adopted by Charles Edward Beaver, Sr. and Elsie Ethel (Sanders) Beaver. He spent the first nine years of his life in Pittsburg where his father worked for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. In 1952 the family moved to Flippin, Arkansas where they had many friends and family members. Charles, Jr. had a happy life there and played basketball and baseball for the Flippin Bobcats.

In the fall of 1958, Charles spotted a girl (Linda Carol Self) sitting alone in the Yellville Movie Theater and asked if he could sit by her. They soon became high school sweethearts. He would often hitchhike to Yellville to see her and hitchhike back home. There weren't many cars passing by and he would often walk all the way home. School wasn't his thing so he joined the Navy and the two teenagers got married and planned to see the world. That didn't work out because Charles had some health issues and was turned down by the Navy. In 1962 they moved to Harrison where they raised their four children. Charles graduated with the first class of the Twin Lakes Vocational School. He studied heating, cooling, and electrical and went to work for Rite Way Heating and Cooling. Much to his surprise, he was called to Boone County Hospital, now (North Arkansas Regional Medical Center) for an interview with the administrator, Lewis Spencer. He was hired to be the Director of Engineering and he spent 40 years there before he retired. He enjoyed his work and the opportunities he was given. During that time, he continued to educate himself by attending schools all over the U.S. and he took many courses at North Arkansas College.

Charles has a variety of interests including raising beagles, fishing, camping, watching and playing sports, music, and genealogy. He and his buddies spent many evenings taking their beagles out to run rabbits. The family spent most of their vacations at Tucker Hollow camping when the children were growing up. Later he and Linda discovered Mountain View and spend many happy days there camping, fishing, hiking, and listening to music, and Silver Dollar City became a go-to place for them to relax and enjoy music. Charles had a deep rich voice and sometimes sang when the family came to visit. His nieces thought he sounded like Johnny Cash. He could never be persuaded to perform in public, but he liked to call his sister and nieces on their birthdays and sing to them. Charles and Linda watched NASCAR races together and he didn't care who won just as long as it was a Ford.

Before Charles retired he developed a strong desire to find his birth family. He did extensive research and built family trees for his adopted family, birth family, and Linda's family. This led him to find his sister who he had searched for for many years. It brought closure for him to find out what happened to his birth mother, and he was happy to learn he had two half- brothers, three beautiful nieces, and a great-niece and nephew. One niece, Maria, and her husband Jim Murray came to visit and spend Christmas with the family in 2015. He was blessed with many phone calls and he finally got to meet his sister, all three nieces, and the great-niece and nephew in Vegas in 2016. The brothers couldn't travel due to poor health. After they retired, Charles and Linda made several awesome trips out west and two trips south. Vacations for them had to include natural beauty, wildlife, and history. But they were always happy to get home to the beautiful Ozark Mountains. There weren't many dirt roads they hadn't traveled and they had hiked most of the Buffalo River trails and many trails in Stone County.

Charles was a member of Eagle Heights Baptist Church and once served on their building committee and kept the scoreboard for Upward Basketball. He enjoyed many years as a member of the Kiwanis Club; he was a past board member of the Boone County Historical Museum and belonged to several organizations including North Arkansas College Pioneer Club, Sons of the Confederacy, Jo Shelby Camp 1414, Captain James Tyrie Wright, Chapter # 6 Military Order of Stars and Bars, Boone Lodge # 314, Free and Accepted Masons of Harrison, Arkansas Association of Healthcare Engineering (board member, senior member, member emeritus) and a lifetime member of the American Society of Healthcare Engineering.

Charles never lost his love for sports and enjoyed coaching little league basketball and baseball. A source of great pride was his ability to play softball with his two sons, Randy and Eddie after they grew up. He also served on the American Legion Baseball Board and sometimes umpired games. He was an avid Cardinal, Razorback, Goblin, and NAC Pioneer fan.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents; his in-laws, Frank and Bertha ( Brock) Self; his son, Eddie Wayne Beaver; his brothers-in-law, Sam Mansolino and Ron Weintraub; and his sisters-in-law, Fay Stacy and Marge (Self) Silva.

He is survived by his wife, Linda (Self) Beaver, of the home; his son, Randy (Cindy) Beaver of Pea Ridge Arkansas; his daughters, Susan (Ray) Lamb of Amity Arkansas and Lori Carol Beaver of Paris Arkansas; his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, William B. Beaver and great-grandson Mickey Beaver of Harrison, Brittiani (Dillon) Powell and their daughters, Harper, Olivia, and Ava, of Sheridan, Arkansas; Kristy (Eugene) Bryant and their daughters, Shelby and Taylor, of Berea, Kentucky, Niki (Rusty) Spicer and son Tyler of Clearwater Florida, Scott Harris of Redfield Arkansas, and Jeneissa Harris of White Deer Texas.

He is also survived by his sister, Sayra Sinnott, Mansolino of Riverside California; his brothers, Ray (Brenda) Williams of Grayland, Washington and Bob (Sue) Williams of Lebam Washington; his nieces, Mitzi Mansolino of Riverside California, Maria (Jim) Murray of San Clemente California, Bo Mail of Pacific Beach Washington, Dena Freeman of San Francisco, Stacy Smith of Napa California, Denise Silva of Orangevale California, Becky Silva of Wellington Nevada, and Debbie Silva of Minden Nevada; his sister-in-law, Fran Stacy Weintraub of Walnut Creek, California; his brother-in-law, Brock Stacy, of Bakersfield California; and a host of cousins, great-nieces, great-nephews, and friends.

Funeral service was Wednesday, October 28, 2020, at Roller Christeson Funeral Home; with visitation prior to service; with Kenneth Stacy officiating and Phil Powers singing.

Burial was in Maple Leaf Cemetery.

Pallbearers were members of Lodge # 314. There was a Masonic service at the graveside.

Honorary pallbearers were members of the Mixed Sunday School Class taught by Glen Crenshaw at Eagle Heights.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Eagle Heights Building Fund, P.O. Box 865, Harrison, AR 72601

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