Leon Beaty
Born: January 3rd, 1936
Died: September 25th, 1993
Obituary
Businessman Leon Beaty, a popular Burlington High School sports broadcaster and former SCC basketball coach, died of cancer Saturday.
Beaty, 57, 1607 River St., died Saturday morning at Burlington Medical Center, where he had been hospitalized in recent weeks.
Beaty was the owner of Total Financial Planning and the co-owner of Employee Benefit Systems of Burlington. He was a former basketball coach at SCC and a high school sports announcer for KBUR/KGRS radio station in Burlington.
Don Brandt, who worked radio with him for several years, said Saturday his friend will be missed. But Beaty was in “a lot of pain” in recent weeks, so his death, in that sense, was “a godsend,” Brandt said.
“They don’t come any better than Leon,” Brandt said. “I could always count on him. He could do either play-by-play or the color. He was very professional at everything he did.”
Beaty coached at SCC from 1972 through 1975, compiling a 58-33 record. His first year he took the basketball team to the National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament, where the Blackhawks finished 11th.
Born Jan. 3, 1936, in Prairie Grove, Ark., he was the son of the late Martin Elbert and Virgie Zinn Beaty. He married Joan Fincher on Aug. 18, 1957, in Fayetteville, Ark.
Mr. Beaty was the owner of Total Financial Planning and co-owner of Employee Benefit Systems.
Beaty received both bachelor of arts and master of arts degrees from the University of Arkansas. He was an educator, administrator, and coach in his home state and in Arizona before coming to Iowa.
He was a past president and current member of both Life Underwriters and the Shoquoquon Tennis Club’s board of directors. He also was an active member of First Christian Church.
Survivors include his wife Joan; three daughters, Debbie Sherwood, Kimberly Beaty, and Susan Beaty, all of Burlington; two sisters, Maxine Fortenberry of Little Rock, Ark., and Juanita Boatwright of Lynchburg, Va.; and three grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and step-mother.
The funeral for Mr. Beaty will be at 7 pm Tuesday at First Christian Church with Rev. Traverce Harrison Officiating. The family will receive friends at the church following the service.
Interment of Mr. Beaty’s cremated ashes will be in Aspen Grove Cemetery. Seagren Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials have been established to the Frist Christian Church and the Burlington Education Foundation.