Harland Lee Beers

Harland Lee Beers

7/24/1927 - 7/21/2023

Bonita Springs, FL

Harland L. Beers peacefully passed away with his family biding him a farewell on July 21st, 2023 in Bonita Springs, FL.

Harland was born on July 24th, 1927 to Harold and Eva (Juckett) Beers in Grand Rapids, MI. Soon after his family moved to Battle Creek, MI where he attended school and graduated in 1946.

WWII was over, but he was in a group of young men drafted late in the war to be sent all over the Pacific to guard and organize the many places left in chaos. He ended up in Korea, where he saw the cruelty of war through the eyes of the Koreans, who were left with little to rebuild their country. Between the war and the Great Depression, Harland started his work life with the desire to build a life much better than he had experienced in the first 20 years of his life. When he was discharged from the army, he pursued his career at Western Michigan University and Northern Illinois College of optometry graduating in 1951.

In 1952 Harland married

Barbara Bauer, also from Battle Creek, and they began a life together. Harland began practicing optometry in Battle Creek and Escanaba. They soon moved to Kalamazoo establishing his own optometric practice, built a home with a modern open design, and raised their family, while enjoying a life of sailing, tennis and travel.

Harland was an early adapter as the world changed. He enjoyed keeping up with the new trends in technology, from building a stereo tuner and amplifier, to bringing home an early version of the portable tape recorder, delighting his children with the recordings of him driving home. He jumped on the computer trend early on, and was very proficient with spreadsheet programs, financial record keeping and Microsoft Office. Until his later years of his life, he enjoyed doing taxes for his family and friends.

Sailing captured his heart, starting with the Flying Scot races on Gull Lake where he won his class five seasons in a row, to spending many years sailing the waters of Lake Michigan with his family. They cruised the shores of Lake Michigan up to Mackinac Island, to the shores of Green Bay in Wisconsin, creating many fond memories and friends on the way.

After his sailing years Harland became a sports car enthusiast and enjoyed racing his Mazda RX7 on timed courses. He was delighted when his grandon Eric's first car was a RX7. Upon retiring in 1990, Harland and Barbara visited Florida in the winters and eventually settled in Bonita Springs. Here they built a new home on a golf course where family and friends were always welcome, and golf, tennis and creating new friendships held their interest.

Harland left behind his wife Barbara of 70 years, son Van (Stephanie St John), daughters Lisa Teusch, and Brenda (Tom) Visuri, sister Linda (Jerry) Aydlotte: grandchildren Christine (Billy) Yanniello, Eric Beers, Anna Beers, Jenny Beers, Ryan (Katie) Teusch, Kevin Teusch, Caraline (Scott) Brandonisio, Theresa Visuri: greatgrand children Liam and Lincoln Yanniello, and Jane Houck Beers, the mother of the Beers grandhildren.

Harland was laid to rest at the First Presbyterian Memorial Gardens in Bonita Springs, FL, with a private family memorial.