Raymond S. Beard was born August 17, 1918 in East Liverpool, Ohio, the son of Raymond S. and Nelle White Beard. The family loved in Steubenville, Ohio until he was ten years of age when they moved to East Cleveland, Ohio. He received his B.A. degree in June 1941 from Western Reserve University and was inducted into the Army by July of the same year. During World War II he served 3 years in the South Pacific (Australia, New Guinea, the Philippines). After his discharge on August 15, 1945 he returned to Western Reserve University to earn a M.A. degree. He received his Ph.D. from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois in 1954.

On August 29, 1954 he married Dorothy June Harper. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2004. He is survived by his wife and their three adult children. Their son Jeffrey and his wife Sheila of Annandale, VA; their daughters, Jerri Sue of Pollock Pines, CA, Kristen and her husband Matthew Stetson of Pownal, ME; four grandsons, ian and Tobias Beard and Cole and Lucas Stetson; two brothers, Robert and Donal. He was preceded in death by a sister, Dorothy Jean Rogers.

He taught at Wayne University, Detroit from 1948 until 1952, at New York University from 1954 to 1958 and finally the State University of New York, College at Cortland until his retirement in 1985. He and his wife moved to Florida in 1997 where he resided until his death.

During his working career he was a member of the Speech Association of America, a charter member of the American Forensic Association, Regional Governor of tau Kappa Alpha. He served one term as Chairman of the Speech and Theater Arts Department at Cortland and several years as parliamentarian of the State University Faculty Senate, composed of representatives from all the State colleges in New York. He also served three terms on the Cortland County Legislature as one of the representatives for Homer, N.Y. Since moving to Florida in 1997 he had been active in the Central Florida Chapter of the Retired Public Employees Association of New York. He was also active in the Central New York Club of The Villages.

Funeral arrangements are by Beyers Funeral Home in Lady Lake, Florida and Behm Family Funeral Home in Madison, Ohio. Burial will be in the Alexander Harper Cemetery in Unionville, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Salvation Army or State University of New York, College at Cortland Endowment Fund.