| Notes |
- St. Petersburg Times (FL)
June 6, 1996
James L. ""Jim'' Beardsley, 83, who was the popular columnist ""Colonel Clearwater'' during his 39 years with the Clearwater Sun, died Tuesday (June 4, 1996) at Mease Continuing Care, Dunedin.
The Sunday editorial page published the ""Colonel's'' letters to public officials and comments on letters from readers. His identity was not disclosed at the time.
His son, James K. Beardsley of Dunedin, remembers his father ""working at home on the "Colonel's' answers to the multitude of letters readers would write in to the paper.''
In the mid-1940s, Mr. Beardsley inherited the duties of the colorful mythical character created by Clearwater Sun owner-editor-publisher Victor Morgan. The paper, established in 1914, was closed in 1989.
Mr. Beardsley, who came here in 1924 from his native Richmond, Va., was a 1931 graduate of Clearwater High School. In 1935, after graduating from the University of Florida school of journalism, he joined the staff of the Clearwater Sun as a $12-a-week proofreader. Within six months he was promoted to managing editor. He retired in 1974 as executive editor.
He left journalism during World War II to serve in the Army Air Forces as a control tower operator in the Signal Corps in North Africa and Italy.
His patriotism did not end there. After retiring, he started a new project: Early on every patriotic holiday, Mr. Beardsley and his wife, Jean, could be spotted placing American flags in front of 107 downtown businesses.
The couple faithfully distributed the flags at dawn and picked them up at dusk on 10 holidays a year. They did this until 1988, when Mr. Beardsley suffered a heart attack. The program was sponsored by Dunedin Jaycees. The couple received the History Maker Award in 1981 from the Dunedin Historical Society.
Mr. Beardsley was remembered by former employee Alice McKenzie as ""very quiet, very kind and very professional.''
Mr. Beardsley was past president and a founding member of Dunedin Jaycees. He was instrumental in the establishment of Fisher Field and was coach for the Dunedin Jaycee National Little League. He was an Eagle Scout member of Troop 10, Boy Scouts of America, Dunedin, and a past member of Clearwater Kiwanis. He was a former deacon and elder at Faith Presbyterian Church, Dunedin.
Survivors include his wife, Jean S.; two sons, James K., Dunedin, and Mark S., Commerce, Ga.; a daughter, Laurel L., Titusville; a brother, Grant L., Placida; a sister, Alice Beardsley-Garber, Chappaqua, N.Y.; four grandchildren; and 16 nieces and nephews.
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1913 - 1996 (83 years)
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