Obituaries

Beady Paul Crass

Photo of Beady Paul Crass
Beady Paul Crass, 95, of Bentonville, Ark., passed away July 3, 2021, at Circle of Life Hospice Home in Bentonville, Ark. He was born May 11, 1926, in Victorville, Calif., to Herman B. and Lois Welch Crass. He was preceded in death by his parents and his five siblings: Philip, Helen, Vera, Dorothy and Donald. He graduated from San Bernardino, Calif., High School in 1943. He was in a Navy pilot training course at Kansas University when WW2 ended, and the class was suspended. He remained at KU to earn a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and became an ensign in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps. He served on Guam, and then at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. It was there he met his future wife, Joan. Upon his return to civilian life, they were married in Flint, Mich., in 1950 and he was employed at Buick Motor Division's engineering department. In 1957, the family moved to southern California where he became an employee of Douglas Aircraft Co. Missile and Space division. He served at the company's field station at Vandenberg Air Force Base for nine years during which time over 100 Thor missiles were launched. He was promoted to the position of Field Station Manager. In 1967, the family relocated to Huntington Beach, Calif., near company aerospace headquarters (which later became McDonnell Douglas). He served as Special Projects Director of several programs over the years, notably on the SkyLab solar array program, for which he spent six months at Cape Canaveral, and a Japanese Launch Vehicle program in conjunction with Mitsubishi, where he represented his company at the successful launch of a communications satellite at Tanegashima, Japan. He traveled frequently throughout those years to NASA headquarters, work-related facilities about the country, and to the Johnson Islands. He retired in December 1993. Over the years, he and his wife made many close friends as square dancers and round dancers, attending dance events throughout the country and in Canada. Travel was a great joy for him, and the couple eventually visited every U.S. state, most of Western and Eastern Europe and many countries in Asia. He especially enjoyed overseas river cruises. Beady and Joan moved to Bentonville, Ark., in 1997 in order to be close to family. As a long-time fan of live theatre, he was a volunteer at Walton Arts Center for many years. He is survived by his loving wife of almost 71 years, Joan; daughters, Nancy (Jim) Koscheski, Gravette, Arkansas; Linda Marton, Bentonville, Ark.; sons, Philip (Paulina) Crass, Charlotte, North Carolina; Paul (Aileen) Crass, Maineville, Ohio; nine grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. He was a proud, easy-going and thoughtful father. He was a member of Bella Vista Presbyterian Church. At his request, no services are planned at this time. His ashes will be placed in the columbarium of the memorial garden of the church. The family wishes to thank the loving hospice care and kindness from Circle of Life. In lieu of flowers, please direct any donations to Presbyterian Church of Bella Vista, 1880 Forest Hills Blvd., Bella Vista, Ark., 72715. Arrangements are by Bella Vista Funeral Home & Crematory, 2258 Forest Hills Blvd., Bella Vista, Ark. Condolences may be expressed at www.funeralmation.com.

Published July 6, 2021

Upcoming Events