A celebration of life for John Robert Beaver, known to all as Jack, will be held by the family at 10:00 AM. on Saturday, April 20, 2024 at Special Care in Oklahoma City.

Jack was born on a Sunday morning, September 8, 2002 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to John Beaver, Jr. and Charlotte (Wilkins) Beaver. He passed from this life on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Jack’s first trip was to the Zoo for his big brother’s birthday during his first week, and his second trip was to Children’s Hospital where he spent his next ten days, beginning a medical journey he would continue off and on throughout the rest of his life.  From this early age, Jack had begun to build the community he would come to depend on in his travels – and he was to become quite good at choosing the very best.  Jack quickly assembled a medical team that over the years included stars from the metro area like Kevin Moore, Brenda Horn, Julie Parke, Johnny Griggs, Michael Johnson, Darin Brannan, Steven Couch, and Justin Ramsey among others.  With his last visit at OU Medical Center, Jack completed his OKC hospital punch card, having spent time at all the key centers of medical excellence in town, Children’s Hospital, Mercy, Integris Baptist, Bethany Children’s, and finally OU Medical.

Jack did have medical challenges during his 21 years, but that did not stop him from being on the go.  Especially during his younger days, he was an avid traveler and was thrilled to be able to visit Florida and swim in the Gulf Coast waters, visit Disney World and Miami Beach.  He was a sports fan – taking in innumerable Little League games while Parker was playing, as well as visiting the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.  In one ill-fated visit, he was present at Mile High Stadium for the Steelers vs. Broncos game– although he missed most of the game due to inclement weather and altitude challenges.  One of Jack’s last far-flung trips was a family visit to Disney Land where he got to ride the rides and see the shows.

Some of the greatest blessings of Jack’s life came to him through the support systems he found at Special Care and Edmond Public Schools.

Jack started attending Special Care around two and a half months old, and he was planning to stretch his stay for another 16 months while he completed the Transition Academy program at Edmond Public Schools. His adventures on the Special Care campus will be legendary for years to come – whether it’s the mouth to trach CPR or the day he turned blue (from the waist down), his Stephen Hawking costume for Halloween, or his time coming off the bus as “Uncle Wheels” to meet his new nephew in the lobby.  There are not enough words to describe how important the family at Special Care was to Jack throughout his life. From his first teachers, Angela and Terri, all the way to his last, Paige, Julianna, and Treyvon, so many people have cared for Jack through the years.

At three and a half years old, Jack went off to school in Edmond Public Schools, one more adventure – starting out with the fabulous Robin Mills and her team at Washington Irving Elementary School.  Jack was blessed there to have Pam Lewis assigned as his personal full-time nurse, and they became bonded through many years together.   Jack spent years at Washington Irving before moving to middle school, briefly at Cheyenne Middle School, and then as part of the inaugural class at Heartland Middle School with Bill LeBlanc as his new teacher.   Jack later matriculated to Santa Fe High school where he graduated thanks to the guidance of Kelly Dawson and her team and the daily care of his new nurse Thomas Guthrie.  He was then able to move into the Edmond Transition Academy with Kayla Will and team, where, with the help of Victoria Middleton and the Oklahoma Department of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, he was investigating job choices for when he completed the program.  This year, Jack had been working in horticulture, sports management, and food distribution at Santa Fe thanks to the efforts of his support team.

Jack Beaver was a beautiful soul with an uncanny knack for communication – especially for someone with no ability to communicate in words.  His eyes and gestures told a lot of stories.  He had a great fondness for V-neck tops, loose eyeglasses, the color yellow, his best girl Kinley Rose, and his favorite person in the whole wide world, his big brother, Parker.   

Jack had a definitive sense of style and was unafraid to be a fashion leader – especially willing to go all out for any costume event – whether it was Halloween, a Komen Breast Cancer Walk, or a Christmas Party – he was there for the outfits.  In addition to his work at school, Jack was an amateur therapist, practicing “talk therapy” for many over the years – whereby he was one of the world’s greatest listeners and secret keepers.  Many of his caregivers have unburdened themselves to Jack over the years, and the secrets are now safe forever.   As his last selfless act, Jack was able to become an organ donor through LifeShare of Oklahoma.

Jack was preceded in death by many family members and dear ones, especially, two grandfathers, Jerry Wilkins and John Beaver, Sr., his infant brother, John-John, and Great Grand-Parents B-Boy & Maggie Parker, and Aunt Cynthia Owen-Beaver.

Left to remember him and carry on his legacy of unconditional love and perfect grace as well as possible are his mom and dad Charlotte and John Beaver of Edmond; brother Parker Beaver and wife Becky and their son Trip of Edmond; “Grandmother” Brenda Wilkins of Chickasha; “Ammie” Amma Lois Beaver of Edmond; Uncles – Gerald Wilkins, Jr. and Brad King of Oklahoma City, Scott Wilkins and wife Melissa of Lee Summit, Missouri, and Kris Beaver and Kelly of Oklahoma City; and many, many extended family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be sent to Special Care, 12201 N. Western Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73114.  https://specialcareinc.org/

Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Ferguson Funeral Home.