Daniel Beatty

GOLD CANYON, Ariz. -- Daniel Anthony Beatty, 72, of Gold Canyon died Tuesday, Dec. 21. 2021.

He was born March 12, 1949, in Park Ridge, Illinois, to Clare Emerson and Patricia Daly Beatty. In his younger years, he was a Boy Scout and was very proud when he earned the God and Country Award. Dan was on his high school golf team and enjoyed running and found that knowing all of the neighborhood dogs' names and interacting with them allowed for a smoother run. Even as an adult, Daniel loved knowing all the dogs in his community.

Dan graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1971, where he completed NROTC. He served in the Navy 28 years, including four years in Vietnam with two tours on the USS Midway. He retired from the Naval Reserve as a captain. After active duty, he pursued a law degree and graduated from California School of Law.

He married Debbie Cleary on Oct. 6, 2012, and they made their home in Gold Canyon, also known as "Cowboy Land" to Deb and Dan. Dan was frequently heard to say, "Let's take Lil' Red (their golf cart) and go have a splash." This meant visiting one of the local restaurants in their community, where Dan knew no strangers! Dan was admired and respected for his willingness to share legal advice with his friends.

Dan is survived by his wife, Debbie; daughter, Meagan (Josh) Kitchen of Midway, Utah; son, Steven Beatty of Chandler, Arizona; stepsons, Michael (Raquel) Cleary of Richmond, Texas, and Ryan Cleary of Scottsdale, Arizona; grandsons, Grady and Blake Kitchen; and stepgranddaughter, Felicity Cleary. He is also survived by his sister, Mary Pat (John) Meade of Chagrin Falls, Ohio; and brother, Joseph (Anita Upenieks) Beatty of Corvallis, Oregon.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

A celebration of life is planned for Feb. 6 at the American Legion Hall in Apache Junction, Arizona.