Willis Clark Beard obit
Willis Clark Beard, age 82 of Detroit and Fort Myers Beach, passed away Sept. 25, 2009. He was the beloved husband of the late Jean and loving father of Kirsten Anne Berwick. Mr. Beard was the owner of Fire Equipment Company in Detroit. Visitation was Monday between 3 and 9 p.m. at Chas. Verheyden Funeral Home in Grosse Pointe, Mich. The funeral was held Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the funeral home. Memorial Contributions may be made to Little Traverse Bay Humane Society in Harbor Springs, Michigan, or Hospice of Northwest Michigan in Charlevoix, Michigan. Share a memory at www.verheyden.org.
Beard was a member of the United States Marine Corps and a sharp shooter in World War II. Locally, he was a board member for Bay Oaks; a member of the Fort Myers Beach Yacht Club; belonged to the Veteran of Foreign Wars (VFW), Moose and American Legion clubs; and was an active member of Airline Intrusion Relief (AIR). He lived at 120 Albatross Street; flew his own float plane; and his boat’s name was MISS FIRE due to his Detriot-based company and his expertise in the Marine Corps.