James Harlan Beatty, 85, a 54-year resident of Hinsdale, died April 27, 2021, at his home.
He was born in 1936 in Chicago and raised in Kentland, Ind. He was a 1958 graduate of DePauw University in Greencastle, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and the campus ping pong champion.
Jim was employed at Merrill Lynch for 47 years. He was an active volunteer in the Village of Hinsdale, serving as a parks and recreation commissioner and spending many weekend hours visiting Hinsdale parks to ensure they were safe and well-maintained. He was instrumental in ensuring that Katherine Legge Memorial Park was preserved and upgraded. He went on to serve as a village trustee and also served on the board of trustees for Benedictine University in Lisle.
Jim was an avid golfer and belonged to Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Royal Dornoch in Scotland and Old Florida Golf Club in Naples.
Jim is survived by his wife, Ann (Migely) Beatty of 57 years; his son James (Clare) Harlan Beatty Jr .; his daughter, Kathleen Beatty (Rob) Wunderlich; and his grandchildren, Alice, Margaret, Robbie, Chad and Drew.
Visitation is at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 8, at St. John of the Cross, 5005 Wolf Road, Western Springs. A memorial Mass will follow at 11 a.m. Please register to attend the mass at https://www.stjohnofthecross.org.
Interment is at Fairlawn Cemetery in Kentland, Ind., on Friday, April 30.
Memorials may be made to the Evans Scholars Foundation, 2501 Patriot Blvd., Glenview, IL 60626 on online at https://www.wgaesf.org.
Brian Powell Funeral Directors of Hinsdale handled the arrangements.
