EW "Bill" Beasley passed away on February 8, 2011 at his home in Santa Rosa.  Bill was born on April 17, 1918 and raised in Southern California.  He served in World War II and then went to work for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, eventually transferring to San Francisco, and then becoming a Goodyear representative which brought him to Eureka.

He met and married his wife, Helen after the death of her first husband and together they started an independent Goodyear service store at 7th and E streets in Eureka.  The store also sold toys, concentrating on their real love and building Bill Beasley's Toys together.  For so many years the store was known for its imaginative toy selection, bikes, and wonderful selection of sporting goods.

Bill and Helen travelled extensively throughout the United States and Canada in a series of motor homes, leaving nary a corner of the continent unexplored.  When they finally retired, they settled in Santa Rosa.  Bill lost his beloved Helen just a few years ago but kept her memory always close to his heart.  Bill is survived by his two stepsons, Ray and Dick Schofield and their wives; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.  He also leaves behind many good friends who will remember him for his wonderful sense of humor, his generosity, and his love of sports and family--and of course, his love of casinos, and he leaves behind "Ballerina", the giant stuffed giraffe who greeted the customers from the front window at Bill Beasley's Toys for so many years.

Eureka Times-Standard, February 27, 2011