John E. Beaber

John E. Beaber, age 96, of Columbus, passed away Saturday, February 7, 2026, under hospice care at Inniswood Village in Westerville, Ohio, following a sudden illness.

John was born January 17, 1930, in his grandparents’ home on Bodmer Avenue in Strasburg, Ohio.

His father, Edwin Beaber - an auto mechanic and welder known as “Bevo” - owned a car repair shop in Dover. John, naturally nicknamed “Lil’ Bevo,” spent many afternoons playing sandlot baseball throughout Tuscarawas County, usually at shortstop or third base, often with his dad filling in wherever needed.

His mother, Grace Pfaeffli, was the daughter of John Pfaeffli, the toy and houseware department head at Garver Bros. country store, in Strasburg. John’s first job was making soda fountain drinks at Garver Bros.

John graduated from Dover High School, Class of 1948. He helped plan and attended nearly every reunion through 2024 and stayed in daily contact with friends, Charlie and Buddy, by email and iPad.

John’s best friend was Kenny Beitzel. Kenny introduced John to Marjorie Limbach (who was Kenny’s cousin) and they were the perfect match. Their first date was seeing “River of No Return,” starring Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum. John and Marjorie were married August 11, 1956, at Grace Lutheran Church in Dover. They enjoyed golfing all over Ohio and seeing historical sites on the east coast. They flew often to the greater Seattle area to visit their daughter and son in law who would make sure John and Marj saw the sights. The drive on The Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park was one of their most memorable experiences. “Oh my!”

During the Korean War, John attended Army Intelligence School at Fort Riley, Kansas, studying map reading and photo interpretation. After the war ended, he was assigned to the Army Printing Plant, supervising a 12-person proofreading section- a natural fit for a Kent State University journalism graduate.

John worked 42 years as a newspaper reporter, photographer, and desk editor for six Ohio newspapers, including the Canton Repository, Youngstown Vindicator, Dover Daily Reporter, and Warren Tribune Chronicle, where he wrote sports and even a bowling column. He also reported late-night news for a Warren radio station. He later served 12 years as chief of the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Canton bureau and finished his career as Sunday Editor of the Columbus Dispatch, retiring in 1995 after 22 years.

Those who knew him remember his endless curiosity about others and his remarkable memory for names, places, dates, sports, and world events — past and present.

In addition to his wife, Marjorie, he leaves behind his daughter, Leslie and his son in law Mike, nieces Brenda and Cheryl, and the Rehm family of Orrville Ohio. John will be missed by Leslie’s childhood friends, who also cherished John’s stories and presence. He’s now with his beloved friends and family who have missed him as much as we do today. (Love ya Dad)

John's care has been entrusted to the Toland-Herzig Funeral Home & Crematory in Dover.  The family will be holding a private time of remembrance to honor John's life. To sign an online guestbook, please visit the funeral home's website.