Mr. Robert Beaty

In Loving Memory Of Robert Lee Beaty was born on November 24, 1942 to the union of Walter Robert Beaty and Violet Essie Lily. He was the third of five children. Bob, as he was affectionately called, was born in Florida but moved to Detroit with his parents when he was the baby of the family. He was baptized at an early age at Elyton Missionary Baptist Church where his family worshiped regularly. At the age of three, Bob was stricken with polio and spent the next three years of his life in a convalescent facility in Farmington, Michigan. Bob shared many memories of that time spent in the convalescent center in his published autobiography, “Beating the Odds: Overcoming Polio” He recalled how difficult that time was being away from his family and the racism he experienced at such a young age by both the nurses and the other children in the facility being the youngest patient and only one of only two black children. He acknowledged though, that this was the beginning of his lessons in resilience. Bob attended Leland Elementary School. His parents pushed him in his educational pursuits even though he missed a great deal of school due to his polio. He still wanted to be like other kids and enjoy games and outdoor fun during the summer. Before getting braces and learning to use crutches, his parents borrowed a wheelchair from his school to help him get around better over the summer. The principal was not too happy when his parents returned the chair with the rubber worn off the wheels because Bob played baseball with the neighborhood children in a nearby bank parking lot. He was the best center fielder ever on an asphalt parking lot in that chair. Bob was very competitive and he did not allow his disability to get in the way of his competitiveness. He was not able to attend high school. At that time, schools were not equipped with handicapped facilities and the only high school with an elevator at the time was Cass Tech which he was not able to attend because of his poor grades which was also a result of his many days out of school. But this did not stop Bob from pursuing his dreams. Since he could not attend high school, he went straight to work. Through the Michigan Rehabilitation Office, he was placed at a job with Goodwill. Shortly after, he took a job at Detroit Edison as a clerk typist. Yes, paralyzed in one hand he was still able to pass the typing test required for the job. He let very few things get in the way of him doing what he thought he could do. From swimming to table tennis to card playing he relished any opportunity to show what he could do rather than wallowing in self pity over what he could not do. After passing the GED, Bob took humanities classes at Wayne County Community College and earned his Associates degree. From there he enrolled in Wayne State University where in addition to taking classes, he participated in the “Wheelchair Olympics” competing in Javelin, the Discus Throw and Table Tennis. Bob typically held down more than one job at a time. He drove cabs in the city of Detroit for over 25 years boasting about his knowledge of thousands of streets in and around the city and about the many celebrities he had the pleasure of driving. Bob eventually started his own transportation business. Some of the other jobs he held down in his lifetime included working at Receiving Hospital as a medical clerk, he worked for Tank Arsenal Procurement Division in Warren, Michigan and even as a bankruptcy clerk for a mortgage company. He also enjoyed traveling and would jump in his car and drive to Alabama, Texas, New York, Indiana or any other place he desired at the time. Some question God’s hand on the lives of those born with struggle or who later develop life altering illnesses. Robert Beaty was grateful for the many blessings upon his life. His challenges made him stronger and drew him closer to the Lord. He loved witnessing God’s goodness and always remained active in church and gospel music ministry. From Elyton Missionary Baptist Church where he was a member as a child, to Burnette Baptist Church where he fellowshipped with his first wife and their 3 children, to Solomon’s Temple Church of God in Christ where he was a member for over 25 years and faithful up until the time of his death, he remained closely connected to the Lord in both word and deed. He was a walking testimony of a man holding to God’s unchanging hand. The Lord called Robert Lee Beaty home on Monday, October 3, 2022 after a short hospital stay at St. John’s Hospital.

Mr. Robert Beaty

November 24, 1942 - October 13, 2022