Former Centerville mayor Sally Beals dies, services announced

CENTERVILLE — Former Centerville mayor Sally Beals has died, the city of Centerville announced Saturday.

A Centerville resident since 1965, Beals served on the Centerville City Council for eight years before serving two terms as mayor.

“Those of us who were fortunate enough to work with Sally know that her goal every day was to advocate for the City of Centerville and make sure Centerville was a great place to live, work and raise a family. She did that locally, statewide, and nationally and was most assuredly successful in her goal,” Centerville Mayor Brooks Compton said.

Beals was in charge of the acquisition and renovation of Benham’s Grove. She helped take the abandoned farmhouse and turn it into a community gathering space. Additionally, she had a hand in helping The Golf Club at Yankee Trace grow into a professional golf facility and event space, a release from the City of Centerville said.

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In 1998, Beals contributed to the founding of the Centerville-Washington Foundation. The group, which supports community non-profits, honored her with its Founders Award in 2017, the release said.

“Mayor Beals will be sorely missed, but her meaningful life and great legacy will remain for all those who call Centerville home today and well into the future,” Compton said.

Beals’ husband, John Beals, passed away in 2019 during his third term on the Centerville City Council. The pair were married for more than 60 years and raised three children in Centerville.

Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 25 at The Golf Club at Yankee Trace. A 9:00 a.m. visitation at Epiphany Lutheran will precede a 10:00 a.m. memorial service on Monday, April 27. This will be followed by a tribute drive past the Centerville Municipal Building and Stubbs Park.

Cox Media Group