Joseph David Beam Jr.

Joseph David Beam, Jr. of Wilmington died on August 9, 2012 at the Wilmington Health and Rehabilitation Center. A native of Hamlet, N.C., he was born on July 17, 1922 to the late Joseph D. Beam and Annie Brooks Beam.

After graduation from Hamlet High School in June 1940, he enrolled in Virginia Military Institute at Lexington, VA. Where he completed three years as an honor cadet and was called into the Army from the enlisted reserve corp. He completed flight training at Ellington Field, TX and was commissioned 2nd Lt. receiving the Wings of Aerial Navigator.

Joseph was assigned to Boeing B-17s and completed a combat tour in Italy where he performed by Squadron Leads and Group Leads where he received decorations of Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal and additional clusters and eight battle stars.

After being discharged from the Army in 1945 he entered N.C. State University, graduated in 1947 with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering and joined ALCOA as an engineer. He then joined J.P. Stevens, Inc. where he remained until he received an involuntary recall to active duty from the Inactive Reserve to Korea.

Joseph was given eight weeks refresher training and was assigned to North American B26 which was a low level fighter bomber and sent to Pusan, Korea where he completed a 55 mission combat tour in ”Night Intruders” and received an additional Air Medal and Battle Star. He returned to the U.S. and was assigned to troop carrier command where he was given the opportunity to return to civilian life if he so requested. Several months later he was given the opportunity to resign his commission honorably, which he did after 12 years in service with a final rank of 1st Lt.

Joseph returned to J.P. Stevens and moved to Dublin, GA as plant manager to the Stevens plants where he remained for three years. He was then recruited by Burlington Industries as a Division Vice President.

He rose to the position of an Executive Vice-President with Burlington with manufacturing responsibilities for various domestic divisions and manufacturing responsibilities for foreign divisions in Italy, Ireland, U.K., Central Europe and Brazil. He had various off shore assignment of fiber purchasing, machinery evaluation, and as a Burlington consultant to manufacturers in Australia. He traveled extensively and several times went around the world covering various assignments in Japan, Middle East, Europe and South America. He retired from Burlington in 1982. He is listed in the Who’s Who of American Textiles.

Joseph then returned to J.P. Stevens as consultant on a three year contract for his former boss and friend, Whitney Stevens.

After leaving the textile industry permanently in 1986, he started developing on Baldhead Island with his older son, who is a general contractor in Raleigh. On Baldhead Island, they developed houses and two luxury condominium projects. He later developed on Oak Island, High Point, Wilmington and Richmond County, N.C.

Joseph has been active with the Richmond County Community College in Hamlet, N.C. where he served on the Board of Directors for over 20 years. In the very early days of the College, he established the first academic scholarship, the Joseph D. Beam Scholarship, in memory of his father, was established for annual engineering or computer science scholarships. He also established the Joseph D. Beam Chair for annual funds to be spent in the engineering department for additional training for the faculty or additional equipment for the engineering department. Also, established was the Joseph D. Beam Engineering Award for engineering student accomplishment.

Joseph bought Coastal Floors in 1986 and it continued to be a Wilmington institiution established in 1942 until Nov. 2011.

He was an avid golf and tennis player at the Country Club of Landfall.

He is survived by his wife, Judith Ann, his canine daughter, Trixie, His sons, J. David Beam, George B. Beam, Charles S. Beam and their wives and children and his sister, Martha Beam deVos of Southern Pines, N.C.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 4:30p.m. on Tuesday August 14, 2012 at the Kenan Chapel at Landfall, 510 Arboretum Drive Wilmington, NC 28405 with Military Honors officiated by the American Legion Post 10, Honor Guard . A reception will follow the service at the Country Club of Landfall.

The family would especially like to thank the entire staff of Wilmington Health and Rehabilitation Center for their loving care of Joseph for the past four years.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the New Hanover Humane Society, 2405 N. 23rd Street Wilmington, N.C. 28401.

The staff of Coble Ward –Smith Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Joseph David Beam, Jr.