Sylvester Beer

Sylvester Beer

Sylvester Beer

Sylvester Beer, a devoted fan of local sports, rests in the shadows of Sanford Stadium.

Stephanie Ray

In Marshall, Charlotte Thomas. Oconee Hill Cemetery of Athens, Georgia. Vol. 1. Athens, GA: Athens Historical Society, 2009. Print. 448.

Stephanie Ray

Still Image

Dying in 1966, Sylvester Beer passed away after a battle with an unnamed illness, which endured for three months. Nearly 65 years old, Beer moved to Athens with his family a year after he was born. He continued to live in Athens until his death and was known for his love of sports and was reportedly “well known” amongst the citizens of Athens. Sylvester owned a local bowling alley named in honor of the university sports team called the Bulldog Bowling Alley. His popularity and dedication to sports is evident in the pallbearers chosen for his funeral, which included members of University of Georgia’s coaching staff, as well as the Athens Touchdown Club and Athens Coliseum Club. He was survived by his wife, Opie, with whom he was later buried, as well as daughter, Sylvia Edwina Beer, and a sister named Carrie Beer.