William Beasy DRAFT

Barron River lake, Haywood, Kentucky | Bill Beasy Collection

Bill Beasy Collection

William Beasy III, aka “Bill”, served with the First Cavalry Division in Vietnam followed by 32 years teaching the natural sciences in the Oldham County Kentucky School System. Upon retirement, he became a ranger at Mammoth Cave National Park.

Bill had a strong interest in archeology and geology as is reflected in his sand collection. Bill collected sand throughout his career beginning with sand brought home in film canisters. The early sand samples were labeled as best one could before the availablity of GPS and online mapping. A July 2001 film can has “camp - Fish Hawk Creek - near waterfall - Wyoming”. With the development of GPS and the rise in sand trading, Bill’s collection became worldwide with coordinates substituting for onsite descriptions. (Note: there may have been a detailed catalog of the collection but it was not with the collection.)

When ill health necessitated Bill moving to assisted living, he made sure that his collection was donated to ISCS so that the samples could be of use to others. Getting Bill’s collection to ISCS was facilitated by Brian Parrish, one of Bill’s students from “way back”.

Brian spoke at Bill Beasy Day, as proclaimed by the mayor of Louisville, KY on Bill’s 80th birthday.

Honor our Teachers and Veterans:

More than 45 years ago, I had an incredible teacher that made an impact on my life. William B. Beasy III or “Bill” was a natural science teacher for more than 32 years, enriching the lives of thousands of children by sharing his love of geology, archeology, and the importance of protecting the environment. 

Very few people knew that prior to earning his teaching degree, Bill voluntarily enlisted in the United States Army in 1961 and was a decorated Vietnam Veteran serving three tours of duty with the famous “First Calvary Division”.

Over the next 45 years, Bill and I have remained friends and I view him as one of my most important mentors. I credit him with my decision to enlist in the United States Marine Corps upon high school graduation. Our shared service to the country has been the source of many spirited conversations over the years debating which branch of service was tougher (obviously the Marines).

Unfortunately, Bill has had some recent health challenges and found himself in assisted living. Approaching his 80th Birthday, I wanted to honor Bill for his lifelong service to our country and community. After receiving Bill’s military records from his wife, I was able to research and create a shadow box honoring his military service. To make the day even more memorable, the Mayor of Louisville graciously proclaimed and designated August 10th, 2023, as “William B. Beasy III Day” in Louisville.

I encourage anyone who has had the privilege of having a special teacher in their life that made a lifelong impact, reach out and let them know how much you appreciate them. I can assure you the rewarding feeling you receive will be tenfold the effort.

Brian Parrish,

Chief Deputy United States Marshal at United States Marshals Service (Retired)

Bill Beasy using a deer skull to compare animal teeth with human teeth at Mammoth Cave National Park where he was a ranger

(photo: Hunter Wilson/Daily News)