David Strickland Beall

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of David Strickland Beall on the morning of the 19th of March in his Hunters Creek Village, TX home, surrounded by his two loving children. David was born on the 5th of April, 1939 in Washington D.C., where he spent his childhood. He graduated from St. Albans School in 1957 and from Princeton University in 1961 with a degree in physics. David conducted several years of research in experimental space physics at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. He changed his career focus to computers, earning a Master's degree of computer science at The University of Wisconsin in 1972. He designed mostly technical software applications, including orientation control for a lunar orbiter and graphics database systems for engineering design.

David married Dorothy Irrgang in 1974. They moved to Houston where he and Dorothy lovingly raised their two children. He is survived by his son Christopher Strickland Beall, daughter-in-law Erin Weled Beall, daughter Katherine Beall Kingsbury, brother Gordon Beall, niece Kirsten Beall, and nephew Jack Beall. He is predeceased by his father Jack Beall, mother Bonita Wilson Beall, brother Jack Beall Jr., brother Alan Beall, sister-in-law Rosemary Irrgang Beall, and his devoted wife Dorothy Irrgang Beall who passed away in January 2022.

David was an avid learner, reader, critical thinker, and passionate news follower. One could always count on a lively discussion on topics such as politics, world affairs, or more casual topics like cars, or sports. (David was a lifelong Washington Redskins fan!) He also greatly enjoyed music of all kinds, but held a particular interest in operas and classical music. He created a sanctuary space for his music collection and enjoyed listening to music while poring over a crossword puzzle. He was an amateur astronomer for some time and also enjoyed sailing in his younger years. A talented painter of oil paintings, David took pride in his art and won awards in high school under the instruction of his beloved teacher, Dean Stambaugh. Taking delight in his long term relationships forged with St. Albans and Princeton classmates, David kept in close contact with many dear friends, keeping them in his thoughts and close to his heart at all times. He made several road trips from Houston to the Washington D.C. area, particularly in the 2000’s, to visit treasured friends and to relive his glory days. Those trips delighted him and he cherished those memories with enormous fondness.

David’s pride and joy were his son Chris and daughter Katherine. Both of his children grew to be kind and intelligent, each shining a light their father was proud to witness. As a father, David was encouraging and supportive, instilling the values of critical thinking, attention to detail and quality, and his “measure twice, cut once” philosophy. He loved spending time with his children. Whether coaching Katherine’s youth soccer/ softball teams, taking her to Astros games, playing a game of catch, or volunteering with her at the George Observatory with their telescopes on public viewing nights (they built a telescope together!), the caring father fostered his daughter’s interests. Sharing his love of science, the encouraging father also inspired and challenged Chris to reach his maximum potential in science fairs. David also devoted time to assisting in Chris’ Boy Scout troop’s projects and activities. David cherished meaningful time with Chris and Katherine in his later years; simple, quality family times of neighborhood walks, enjoying a meal at Beck’s Prime and other favorite local eateries, weekly family FaceTime calls, and playing a heated game of cards brought David much joy.

We are better for having known him; he will be deeply missed by all those he touched and loved. Chris and Katherine are grateful for the final care given to him by Vantage Hospice and At Your Side. We also embrace Kim Bunma, nearly a family member, for decades of faithful service in our home.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to:

St. Albans School

https://www.stalbansschool.org/annual-giving

Or

Princeton University

https://makeagift.princeton.edu/MainSite/MakeAGift?utm_campaign=givingtoprinceton&utm_medium=web&utm_source=giving Please note in the special instructions it is for the David S. Beall Memorial Fund or you can mail a check to Princeton University, PO Box 5357, Princeton, NJ 08543 and please note David S. Beall Memorial Fund on the check

Or

Houston Food Bank

https://fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/InMemory/DavidBeall