'A prince among men': Friends and colleagues remember Jerry Beaver

"He was entirely self-sufficient. He lived life his way," local business owner Paul Dirnberger recalled of the late Jerry Beaver. "Everything he did, he did on his own, because he wanted to."

Beaver, 75, died Sunday at Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau.

Beaver was bartending in 2004, when Dirnberger took over the Pladium bar at 1127 Broadway in Cape Girardeau.

When Dirnberger asked Beaver whether he would be willing to stay on at the new D'Ladium Sports Bar, Beaver not only said "yes," he reportedly reached into his pocket and pulled out a napkin. On it, he had sketched blueprints for how the building should be remodeled.

"The only way we were gonna keep that (business) a bar was if Jerry would run it, and he immediately said 'yes' and then pulled that piece of paper out and away we went," Dirnerbeger recalled.

Beaver was known for two physical trademarks: his large mustache and a penchant for shorts and flip-flops — "even in the dead of winter," according to Dirnberger. "That was just his way."

Known mostly as "Beav," sometimes "Beaver," and rarely as "Jerry," the Cape Girardean moved from bartender to general manager when Pladium became D'Ladium.

In his new role, Beaver greeted people, checked IDs and occasionally acted as bouncer. Dirnberger explained it's expected, at some point, for a bar to eventually need the police. Yet D'Ladium has never once been compelled to summon them.

"That was because of Beaver," Dirnberger said, recalling the man's ability to keep peace in the midst of chaos.

"In a college bar, that's saying something. ... (Beaver) is the last of a breed. What better bartender can you get than one that doesn't drink? He didn't drink. I mean, he was made to be in that type of environment."

Although he could be imposing when he needed to, Beaver could also transform into a teddy bear. Several photos on Facebook depict Beaver, smiling, amid a huddle of adoring women.

"He was everybody's daddy away from home," Dirnberger recalled. "He was like a grandfather. He loved people. By November of each school year, he knew every customer's first name. His memory was that sharp. I don't know how he did it, he was just the kind of person that anybody felt totally comfortable talking to."

There has been no shortage of witness testimony to support that sentiment.

"He gave the tightest and longest bear hugs ever," remembered patron Stephanie McCabe Wienke. "We also loved hearing about the Indy 500 trip he took with his motorcycle every year."

Wienke said Beaver would enjoy just one beer every year, capping off his annual motorcycle pilgrimage. She remembered his presence making her feel safe.

"He was always super protective of the girls at the bar," Wienke added, referring to the female staff members.

Others who knew Beaver shared similar memories.

"Beav and I instantly became friends when I started working at D'Ladium in 2007," recalled former bartender Megan Jones. "He was more like a guardian to all the girls who worked there. It was his priority to keep us safe and make sure everyone treated us with respect. During any bad weather, he would come pick us up and return us to our homes at closing. On random Sundays, he would take me and my roommate for burgers at Horseshoe Lake."

Dirnberger remembered Beaver as a faithful carrier of secrets, reportedly consoling those going through emotional breakups and other hardships.

"He would talk to them, kind of be a minister to them, but would never talk to anyone else about it," Dirnberger remembered. "He would never gossip. Whatever you told him stayed with him."

Beaver, a Navy veteran, was recalled by friends and family as having an inner vault — a well of privacy where certain things were kept in strict confidence. The trait earned him a lot of trust.

Although Beaver technically worked for Dirnberger, the business owner said "employee" wasn't the first word to come to mind.

"I don't know if you would call him an 'employee' as much as he was the business (itself). He made the business," Dirnberger said. "He was the bar, everybody loved him, and he loved everything about it."

It did not take long for Dirnberger's relationship with Beaver to transcend formality.

"The thing with Jerry is, once you become his friend, you are his close friend," Dirnberger said. "He actually became part of our family. Anything we had going on, he was in on, you know, weddings, graduations. ... There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't talk to him. He would call me every single morning just to let me know all is well with the world," Dirnberger remembered. "He was definitely a prince among men. There's no doubt about it."

A visitation for Beaver will be from noon to 2 p.m. Friday at Ford and Sons Funeral Home Mount Auburn in Cape Girardeau.

A private service will be held Friday at Cape County Memorial Park Mausoleum in Cape Girardeau, with Pastor Loren Boettcher officiating. Burial will be at Cape County Memorial Park Cemetery in Cape Girardeau at a later date.