Robert Nelson Beasley

Robert Nelson Beasley was born on June 18, 1954 in Portland, Oregon to Thomas and Pauline (Nelson)

Beasley. He passed away on September 18, 2022 in Portland, Oregon after a long battle with

Alzheimer’s.

Robert grew up in Northwest Portland and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1972. He attended

Portland State University majoring in Anthropology and Geology. He was involved in the Anthropology/

Geology National Science Foundation Student Research Program. Robert was also involved with the

SMU Western Natural History Research Team and the PSU Field Archeological and Natural History Team

in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico.

Over the course of his life, he lived in many places: Portland, Oregon; Bend, Oregon; Kailua Kona,

Hawaii; Seattle, Washington; Cupertino, California; and Houston, Texas before returning to Portland in

2014. His work and love of travel took him all over the world, including Japan, Israel, Ireland, Germany,

Hong Kong and Bali. His trips with his son Gabe to Asia were some of his favorite.

Robert’s skills were quite diverse and he found success in multiple industries. He was an excellent chef

and spent his early years as an assistant/sous chef for various restaurants in Bend and Portland. He was

also co-owner of the successful Deschutes River Trout House (Sunriver, OR). In 1981, he moved to

Hawaii and served as Project Manager for NW Contractors, RD Riley, and Mobley Construction in Kailua

Kona, supervising the remodeling of resort hotels, such as the Mauna Kea Beach and Mauna Lani Bay. In

1992, he moved back to Portland and began working in the Exhibit/Trade Show business. He served as

VP/Project Manager/Account Executive for All West Display and Exhibit Group Giltspur in Portland. He

then moved to Seattle in 1996 and was VP of Operations/Account Executive for Clark Productions,

Account Manager/Consultant for Arcturus Exhibits/Cutter Buck and Associate Partner/VP/Account

Executive for ESPartnership LLC. He then moved to California and was a Tradeshow Consultant/Project

Manager for several companies, before moving to Houston in 2009 and becoming Project Manager for

Lone Star Exhibits.

Among his most noteworthy accomplishments was designing and supervising the installation of a

custom wood conference table for a Timber Conference in Portland that was attended by President Bill

Clinton and the Vice President. He was interviewed by CNN about the project. The table now resides in

the Smithsonian.

He was a member of the Archeological Institute of America and the American Archaeological

Conservancy.

Outside of his professional life, Robert enjoyed tennis, climbing, biking, hiking, camping, golf, and

American Indian, Hawaiian, and Roman history. He loved animals, particularly Mumbo (his beagle) and

Bob the Cat. He helped rehabilitate injured Birds of Prey for the Portland Zoo while in college.

Robert is preceded in death by his parents and brother, Ronald A. Beasley. Robert is survived by his son

Gabriel and Gabriel’s wife Alina, sister Joann Welton (Houston, TX), stepson Yonni Bach (California), and

many wonderful friends and family. Special thanks to the staff at Firwood Gardens RCF for their

compassionate care these past few years.

Robert will be laid to rest at Sand Ridge Cemetery in Lebanon, Oregon on the morning of September 26,

2022. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Alzheimer Association, SPCA, or the charity of

your choice.