Remembering John Beam: Celebration of life held for legendary Oakland coach
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- A celebration of life was held on Saturday for legendary Oakland Coach John Beam at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts.
Beam died Friday, Nov. 14, after being shot the day before on campus at Laney College, where he spent the last 20 years of his career.
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Loved ones remembered Beam as a larger-than-life personality who helped countless athletes turn their lives around and was a "pillar" in the Oakland community. He was a football legend in the Bay Area and had coached the sport for over 40 years before becoming solely Laney College's athletic director last year.
Outside of the Bay Area, Beam's name is probably most recognizable from Netflix's popular show, "Last Chance U."
Beam is survived by his wife, two daughters and granddaughters. He was 66.
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