James Neal Beard Jr. Obituary
We bid farewell to James Neal Beard Jr. (Sumter, South Carolina), whose journey of life gracefully concluded on February 21, 2026 at the age of 96. James touched countless lives with warmth and kindness, leaving behind cherished memories that will forever echo in hearts. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family.
As we bid James farewell, let us not mourn the absence of his physical form, but rather celebrate the essence of his spirit that lingers in the spaces between moments. For James is not truly gone, but merely transformed, his energy intertwined with the fabric of the universe itself, forever dancing among the stars.
He was predeceased by: his parents, James Neal Beard, Sr. and Martha Whitesides Beard. He is survived by: his wife Eleanor Boozer Beard; his sons, James Neal Beard, III (Lynn) and Edward Boozer Beard of Columbia; his granddaughters, Gracie Harrington Epler (Jordan) of Philadelphia, Katharine Beard Hartmann (Thomas) of West Columbia and Mary Martha Beard of Summerville; his great grandchild Rory James Epler of Philadelphia; and his siblings-in-law, Marcelle Ackerman of Prosperity and Michael Boozer of Columbia. He is also survived by many nephews, nieces, and friends.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be contributed to First Presbyterian Church of Sumter.
