Bealmear, Keith

BEALMEAR, Keith A.

Dedicated husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, devoted friend and retired executive, Keith Albert Bealmear, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 12, 2024, in Canton, Georgia, after valiantly battling cancer for seven years.

Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, on January 1, 1947, Keith was blessed with a caring family who instilled in him strong values and a friendly and motivated nature, which carried through his academic, athletic and professional careers.

Keith starred in football and track at Gerstmeyer High School in Terre Haute. He loved his high school and classmates, returning just this past summer to share time and fond memories. It is rumored some of the stories may have been slightly exaggerated however no one seemed to care. Keith is forever a "Blackcat".

Following High School Keith attended and graduated from Indiana State University where he starred in the broad jump and triple jump, an event for which he held the school record for years until a young protégé he mentored jumped just a little further. Keith always said records were made to be broken.,

Following graduation from college Keith went to work for NAPA Auto Parts retiring in 2005 after more than 30 years of service. Keith was a top notch, hard working, knowledgeable executive. He reached the top tier of his professional life with NAPA as Group Vice President responsible for one-half of all of NAPA's business. Keith was extremely proud to work for NAPA, of his co-workers and the NAPA store owners he had the opportunity to work with.

Keith was a loyal, generous, and reliable friend. The list of his personal and business friends is enormous. He loved to play golf and poker with his friends as well as take an occasional trip to Las Vegas, Biloxi, and Cherokee, North Carolina. If you were to ask him if he ever lost, he would say, "I won more money than I ever lost". Who would dispute that? He was a member of Woodmont Golf and Country Club in Canton where he played in the Senior Golf League for many years, making several close friends and occasionally helping some of them add their scores correctly.

Keith was preceded in death by his parents, Jim and Betty Bealmear; an older brother, Larry; his son, Cody; and his loving wife, Gloria (Manley) Bealmear. He left behind a beloved, dedicated son, Travis Bealmear of Canton, who took great care of him during his final days; and two granddaughters, Kiley and Keelyn, who he cherished dearly.

Keith will be missed by everyone whose life he touched.

Funeral arrangements have been made at the Canton Funeral Home in Canton, Georgia where he will be cremated.

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