Paul G. Beard

Paul G. Beard of Waukesha passed away on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at the age of 98. He was born in New Castle, Indiana on July 16, 1927 the son of Roy and Hazel (nee Gilpin) Beard. He grew up as a child in the depression and had many athletic idols including Jim Thorpe, Jesse Owens and Angelo Bertelli but as he got older realized his real hero was his father. Paul graduated from New Castle High School in 1945 and joined the Merchant Marines, attending school in New York and visiting Antwerp, Le Havre and Bremerhaven. Paul decided maritime life was not for him and he joined the Army. He attended college at Butler University until he was recalled to the Army in 1950, stationed at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. In August of 1951 he returned to college at Butler University and graduated in 1953. Paul went on to work as a pharmacist in Kankakee, Illinois where he met his future wife and love of his life, Marion Hoppe. They married on December 28, 1963 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Waukesha where he was a longtime member. Paul had a zealous faith of a convert, serving Trinity as a lay elder and he fondly remembered his 2016 pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Eventually, Paul worked at South Side Pharmacy in Waukesha and following its closure he worked for several other pharmacies, retiring from Pick ‘N Save in 2007 at the age of 80.

Paul will be sadly missed by his son Paul H. Beard of Waukesha, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Marion; his sisters Dora Fowler and Mary Ellen Pfenninger and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Herbert and Delbert Hoppe, Mardel (Wayne) Gustafson, and Lola (Darrel) Weinrich.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 from 10:00 AM until the 11:00 AM Funeral Service at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1052 Whiterock Ave. Waukesha, WI 53186. Burial will follow at Prairie Home Cemetery.