Dr. Robert Lee Beech

Robert L. Beech (a.k.a.- Doc Beech) was born September 4, 1929 in Des Moines, Iowa to Marie (Carpe) and Gerald Beech. He was later joined by two brothers, Jerry and Dennis. He went to his eternal home on January 1, 2020. Doc grew up on the east side of Des Moines and graduated from East High School where he was active in sports, especially wrestling, winning the honor as City Champion. He entered and served in the US Navy during the Korean War where he was a corpsman. Upon successful completion of his military service, he attended Grandview College where he played on the basketball team. He later attended Drake University before going to medical school at Still Osteopathic College (now Des Moines University). He had a very successful medical career in Des Moines, spending 14 years as an ER physician, and also worked at clinics in around Iowa as an associate professor for the Osteopathic College, before retiring. In 2005, he was honored with the lifetime achievement from the Iowa Osteopathic Medical Association for his many years of dedication and honorable service to the profession of Osteopathic Medicine. In 1953, he married the love of his life, Ramona Quirk - a marriage that lasted over 55 years. Together they raised four children, Robin, Rebecca, Ross and Renea. They lived in the Des Moines/Polk City area for many years before eventually moving to Greenfield. Following the loss of Ramona, he moved to Checotah, Oklahoma in 2011 along with daughter, Renea and her family. Doc had many talents and interests. He was an accomplished artist including many paintings, carvings, and sculptures. He won multiple awards for his artwork and enjoyed sharing his creations with family and friends. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing, boating, trap shooting, reading, poetry, photography, studying the constitution, and closely following politics. He and Ramona owned a sporting goods store in Polk City for many years and was also owner of several trap shooting parks. His interest in horses began as a small child riding a pony on his Grandfather’s farm. That interest continued throughout his entire life. Just a few days after graduating from medical school and securing a job, he bought his first horse-Cocoa. This started a career of showing horses at the local, state and national level along with his family. He was a past member of the Iowa Quarter Horse Association where he served as the youth advisor in addition to winning multiple awards. When he was 50, he became interested in team roping and worked hard to become proficient in that endeavor – as he did with everything he attempted. He was a lifetime member of the USTRC, started the Adair County Team Ropers and donated an arena to the Adair County Fairgrounds for the public to enjoy. He and his daughter Becky and son-in-law Doug had a large roping cattle herd and enjoyed producing ropings in the Greenfield area for several years. Even at 90 years of age, he still found a way to rope the heeling dummy every day. In 2000, he started assisting daughter, Renea, in her barrel racing production business serving as the official timer and traveling throughout the Midwest for many years making many friends along the way. He is survived by three daughters: Robin (Jerry) Travis of Murray, Iowa, Rebecca (Doug) Geidel of Orient, Iowa, Renea (Lee Bob) Bolling of Checotah, Oklahoma. Six grandchildren: Jessica (Greg Clark) Travis, Jennifer (Nic) Herr, Justin (Alisha) Geidel, Brady (Bo) Geidel, Galen (Katie) Geidel, and Ramsey Bolling and eight great-grandchildren. A brother, Jerry Beech of Johnston, Iowa and brother-in-law Dr. Michael (Barbara) Blacksmith of Rockwell, North Carolina and many nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of friends. He was preceded in death by his wife Ramona, son Ross, brother Dennis, sister-in-law Barbara Beech and his parents. Doc was a lifelong learner and always enjoyed learning something new-even how to operate his smart phone! He enjoyed helping others learn art, to rope, ride, etc. – especially youth. He was an avid reader and enjoyed writing. He packed a lot of experiences into his 90 years! Upon searching his desk following his passing, the family came across this that he had written summarizing his life: In the beginning, you will find the answer to the end. When I was old enough, I shoveled snow, mowed lawns, did dishes, scrubbed floors, picked up trash, painted fences, helped babysit, made my bed, folded clothes, did homework, washed the car, visited old relatives, delivered newspapers, worked delivering shampoo, etc. on my bike in downtown stores, worked in grocery stores, delivered groceries, worked constructing buildings-carpenter helper/poured cement, worked in packing house-made boxes, salted hides, lugged beef, lugged lambs, shook hides, trucked meats, made wieners, trucked guts, iced box cars, figured times for certain jobs, wrote checks to farmers for livestock, caddy for golfers, steered aircraft carriers, collected weather data, painted carrier-scraped paint, painted again, put LST into commission, steered ship to Japan and Korea, worked in delivery room at Mare Island Navy Hospital, went to college, worked teletype taking meat orders for Iowa Packing Co.- worked Winston Newal unloading box cars of fruit and vegetables, delivered packages for the post office at Christmas, worked hospital emergency room for 14 years, Associate Professor Clinical Med at Des Moines University, worked family practice-physicals and pap smears in small towns in southwest Iowa – rode, broke, and showed horses, taught the girls to care for and show horses, taught Becky how to shoot trap and hunt - State Champion Trapshooter, Central Zone American Trapshooter Champion. Iowa Osteopathic Medical Association Life Service Award – hunted, fished, etc… Someone asked if I would like to live forever, I said “No” – “Why?” – At 90 I can no longer do any of the aforementioned – so you see, the beginning is the answer at the end. Doc was well-known and loved in the rodeo, roping and barrel racing circles making friends across the country. He always had an encouraging word not only for his family but the many friends he made as well. He always had a smile for those he met and provided medical advice/attention whenever needed as well as life advice or just a good story! He was a special person who was loved and always lived each day of his life to the fullest. He will be missed.

Dr. Robert Lee Beech

September 4, 1929 - January 1, 2020