Long time Official Dave Beede passes
Dave Beede
Sunday, December 27, 2015
by Track Historian Eric Arnold
It has been a rough off season with long time friends of the Knoxville Raceway passing. Danny Mason, who was a push truck driver for 39 years passed away in September. Later we lost Roy Robbins and Bob Trostle, and now Dave Beede who was much more than a track official to all of us at Knoxville Raceway for 41 years. We are all deeply saddened for Dave's family and extend our sincerest condolences. I interviewed Dave in 2010 and below you will find a heart warming story.
Dave Beede may not be a well known man, but he is one of the unsung heroes that has helped make Knoxville Raceway so great. You may have seen Dave in the turn one staging lane as a official for several years. But his most important work was as driver of the courtesy vehicle. In the event of an injured driver there is a very special service that Dave began to offer years ago to families of injured drivers, a ride to the hospital. The kindness within his heart to help people was genuine. Since Dave started the program it has become a blessing for so many families.
It all started back when Dave was younger and helping driver Jerry Blundy and his wife Marge on a road trip to race in Florida. Blundy was involved in a wreck and was taken to a hospital; meanwhile Dave and Marge were left waiting to find out what had happened to Jerry. “I asked an official where Jerry was and what hospital he had been taken to,” said Beede. “The response from the official was that there were five hospitals in the phone book if we wanted to start calling them. After that experience I felt like I had to make sure we never let anyone at Knoxville go through something like that.” Unfortunately Beede had to tell 14 wives that their husbands had lost their lives. There aren’t too many people who can handle that situation like Dave has. He has gone beyond just driving families to the hospital and being there to comfort them. Dave has let families move in with him and help enroll their kids into school while they stayed close to their loved ones that were hospitalized.
When Jeff Shepard was injured in 2008, Dave was with the Shepard family for days and helped transport their vehicles back home to Maryland.
Paul McMahon was hurt during the 2004 Nationals and suffered injuries that kept him hospitalized for a few days, and right there to support Paul and his family was Dave Beede. “I can't begin to express my gratitude toward Mr. Beede for the way he treated us when Paul crashed at the Nationals and broke his tailbone,” said Paul’s wife Jan McMahon. “I was such a nervous wreck once they decided to transfer Paul from Knoxville to Des Moines. Mr. Beede drove my mother in-law and I to Des Moines and he was so sweet and reassuring by letting us know that the hospital they were taking him too was top notch. He came into the hospital with us and did not leave until he knew exactly what they were going to do with Paul, which I was amazed by such a kind gesture. He could have dropped us off and headed back, but instead he stayed and took care of us. I personally feel he was an angel on Earth for us that weekend, and every time I am at Knoxville I am always reminded of that sweet, sweet, man who took care of us.”
“There’s something to be said about treating people right,” commented Beede. “I look around the pit area tonight (June, 2010 WoO show) and I see a few cars from Pennsylvania who came here to race with us. Our reputation of taking care of people may have something to do with that. You can’t measure in dollars what the return is by doing the right thing for people. We don’t do this for the money, but you can’t deny that our actions have value,” explained Beede.
What Dave probably never understood is the value he brought to people and to Knoxville Raceway. If you are a driver, or a family member of a driver, and you never met Dave count your blessings. But if you did meet Dave, you were in great care of someone who understood difficult situations and how to help people deal with them as best as anyone could. Rest in Peace Dave. You will be missed.
Visitation is Tuesday evening, December 29, from 5 until 7pm Funeral is Wednesday, December 30, at 11am. Both will be at Saint Charles Parish Church at 305 West Main Street in Saint Charles, Iowa. Kale Funeral Home will be handling the services. Memorial contributions can be sent to the Knoxville Racing Charitable Organization (KRCO), P.O. Box 493, Knoxville, Iowa 50138. Saint Charles is located south of Des Moines off I-35. http://www.kalefuneralhome.com/obituaries/David-Beede/
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