Alexander Robertson Beard was born January 3, 1927 in Staunton, VA at the historic Stuart
House where six generations of his family lived. His family home was built in 1791. He was the son of Mary Stuart (Robertson) and William Kelly Beard. He attended Germantown Academy in Philadelphia as a boy, along with cousins and his brother, John Shepard. The Beard family recently held a large family reunion at the Academy where they proudly toured the new Beard Center for Innovation, which is part of the school's ongoing pursuit of excellence in education. Sandy, as he was known by many friends, was a graduate of Saint Andrew's School in Delaware and The University of Virginia. His father served in the Navy, his brother in the Army and Sandy in the Marines. He and his wife Margaret (Peggy, predeceased) wed in 1956 and raised their three children, Margaretta Lee (Svedres), Alexander Robertson Beard, Jr and Mary Stuart (Neill) in Saint David's, PA and had four grandchildren. He and Peggy retired to
Cumming, GA to be closer to Mary Stuart and her family. Sandy was regarded as a true
southern gentleman. He passed away on October 30 at the age of 96. Many thanks to the staff at the Oaks Assisted Living for their loving care. A celebration of life will be held on Wednesday, December 20. For more information, please contact Mary Stuart at MaryStuart_Neill@yahoo.com . In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to one of Sandy's favorite charities, www.DoctorsWithoutBorders.com