Venton Earl Beach

LCDR, (Retired) Venton Earl Beach, 92 of Greenville, South Carolina passed away peacefully at his home on September 12, 2022. Venton was born on January 12, 1930, to Earl and Orpha Lewis Beach of Pawnee City, Nebraska. He spent the first 13 years of his life in Pawnee City before moving with his family to Seattle, Washington where his father was able to find a job working with Boeing Aircraft. Venton enlisted in the US Navy on January 23, 1948. During his career he was stationed at Treasure Island, California; Hawaii; 2 tours at Great Lakes, Illinois; Quonset Point, Rhode Island; Yokosuka, Japan; and completed his career at Long Beach Terminal Island, California. He had 2 sea tours spending time on the USS Tulare (AKA-112) and the USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39). He was serving on the Lake Champlain when it recovered astronaut Alan Shepard from the Mercury Freedom capsule after splash down in the Atlantic Ocean and during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Venton Married Margaret LaVerne Crowson of Ukiah, California on December 25, 1953. They were married nearly 65 years before her passing December 23rd, 2018. Venton retired from the Navy in 1971 after 23 ½ years of service. He and his family moved to Searcy, Arkansas where he completed a BA in Industrial Arts in 1974 at State College of Arkansas. After his graduation he taught drafting for 10 years at Foothills Vocational Technical School in Searcy, Arkansas. In 1986 Venton enrolled in the School of Biblical Studies at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. After his program completion in 1989 he and his wife moved to Tilton, New Hampshire. He spent the next 3 years working with the local Church of Christ. The Beaches moved to Tullahoma, Tennessee in 1989 to be centrally located for their family and lived there for the next 24 years. They moved to Greenville, South Carolina in 2016. Venton was a man of strong faith and served God as a Deacon, Elder, co-minister and Bible class teacher at the congregations of the local churches where they lived. Venton is survived by his daughter Diane (Barry) Wood of Travelers Rest, South Carolina and sons Alan (Joni) Beach of Radford, Virginia; Kenneth (Tamela) Beach of West Union, Iowa; and Jon (Nancy) Beach of Kingston, Tennessee. He is also survived by 14 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents, brothers Nelson, Lee, Karrel and sisters Winifred (Morrison) and Arzella (Carlson); wife Margaret LaVerne, son Vernon, and a great grand-daughter Harper Faith Beach. A graveside service will be held with full military honors at MJ Dolly Cooper Veterans Cemetery in Anderson, South Carolina at 1:00pm Friday, September 23, 2022. Memorial gifts may be made to Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort.

Venton Earl Beach

January 12, 1930 - September 12, 2022