Honoring John Beam: Oakland memorials held for the legendary coach

OAKLAND, Calif. - Memorial events are being held in Oakland for a community heartbroken by the loss of legendary and beloved football coach and Laney College Athletic Director John Beam last month.

Skyline Alum gathering 

On Friday, Everett & Jones’ restaurant on Broadway is expected to be packed by loved ones, including family, friends, former student athletes and others who were encouraged, guided, and inspired by Beam over the more than 40 years he served his community as a coach and mentor. 

The tribute to Skyline’s former football coach and physical education teacher is being hosted by that school's alumni.

Organizers invited former Titans to come together to share memories and celebrate a man who helped shape and enrich young lives throughout his storied career.  

What they're saying:

"Let’s show up as a community — the same way Coach Beam showed up for countless young people throughout his lifetime," Skyline alum Felicia Fee Carr posted on Facebook, sharing details about the event. 

Carr, Class of 1994, said the doors for the memorial gathering will open at 6 p.m. An overflow crowd was expected, so she said it would be first come, first served.

The program will include an hour or so of designated speakers paying tribute to Beam, followed by a time for people to visit with one another, find comfort and support, and share memories, Carr told KTVU.

There will be a table for attendees to bring cards and flowers for Beam’s family. And Carr added, "Because there will be so many people, we will have cards for people who want to write down their memories," which organizers said will also be delivered to the family. 

Organizers noted food will not be included as part of the event but can be purchased at the restaurant, and kids will not be allowed after 9 p.m.

"Let us celebrate, uplift, and remember a true Oakland legend together," Carr wrote on Facebook.

Laney's ‘luminaria walk’

Next week, Laney College plans to hold a memorial walk in honor of its late coach, with the procession being called "Light the Path, Light the Field."

The event will begin at 4 p.m. at the Laney Bistro and end at the football field where Beam made a profound impact on countless football players’ lives, not just as athletes, but as young men.

The walk's route will be symbolic of the path that Beam took on campus and the pathways to success that he provided to countless students. 

"Join us for a collective walk from the Laney College campus to the football stadium, reflecting the journey Coach Beam walked with generations of students—from learning and mentorship to teamwork and community building—illuminating the path to the field he loved."

SEE ALSO: John Beam's family issues 1st statement in aftermath of tragedy

Attendees were advised to wear comfortable shoes for the 0.3 mile luminaria walk. The Peralta Community College District said there will be free parking at the Laney parking lot on E. 7th Street but recommended carpooling or public transit, as the turnout was expected to be very large.  

Timeline:

Beam was shot on Nov. 13 at the Laney College fieldhouse, where the school's athletic facilities are housed. It sits adjacent to the football field.

He died the following day at Oakland’s Highland Hospital. 

The 27-year-old suspect, Cedric Irving Jr., was arrested that same day. He made his first appearance in court on Nov. 18 and is scheduled to return to court on Dec. 16, when he’s expected to enter a plea.  

Beam's storied coaching career spanned some 45 years. It began in 1979 at Serra High School in San Diego, where he's from.

In the 1980s, he started coaching football at Skyline High School, where he also served as a PE teacher. At Skyline, he won 15 league championships and celebrated four undefeated seasons. 

Beam went to Laney College in 2004, first as the school's running backs coach. He became the college's athletic director in 2006, and he took on the role as head football coach in 2012.

In 2020, he received national attention when Netflix featured Laney's football program in its popular "Last Chance U" series. 

Beam retired from his head coach position last year. 

He's credited for producing more than 20 NFL players during his time at Laney and Skyline. 

Oakland Library memorial 

In addition to the two upcoming public events to honor Beam, the community is getting another opportunity to celebrate his life and impact through a memorial set up by the Oakland Public Library (OPL) at its main library on 14th Street. 

"We have put up a humble tribute and a memory book to sign, which we will deliver to Beam's family," OPL shared in a blog post last month, inviting residents to stop by and sign the book.

Dig deeper:

As part of the memorial, the library put on display articles that were written about the coach, noting he showed up in the Oakland Tribune almost 600 times. 

"What was striking to us as we went through the microfilm and online databases was not just how often Coach Beam was in the paper… but how consistent he was. In article after article Coach Beam would uplift his players and students and praise his colleagues and competition," the Oakland Public Library shared, adding, "What shines through over and over again is his positivity, his love for the game and, especially, his dedication to his players and their families."

The library system also spoke of how the coach used football as an avenue, a means to an end, quoting him from one article, in which he called sports the greatest tool for "dropout prevention." 

The blog paid tribute to a man who went beyond the role of a coach, as so many considered him more of a father figure who went above and beyond in his support for the young people he guided.

"This was a man who didn't just teach or coach, he wrote letters of recommendation, made endless calls to college recruiters, bought meals, gave rides, gave counsel, a man who fought for his players every step of the way," the Oakland Public Library said.

And it quoted a famous line from Beam himself, words that clearly demonstrated how he approached his position as an educator: "Our job is to believe in them so they can believe in themselves."

The investments the San Diego native and Oakland transplant made in this community he loved were profound and far-reaching.

"He dedicated his entire adult life to this community, his adopted hometown," the library said. "We were lucky, and honored, to have him. He will be deeply missed."

 The library memorial for Coach Beam is scheduled to remain on display for the public through the end of the year.

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