Joseph Paul Beierschmitt

Joseph Paul (Joe) Beierschmitt (93), a long time resident of Bowie, passed away on Friday, December 22, 2017 at HeartFields Assisted Living facility, 7600 Laurel Bowie Road, Bowie, MD, where he had been a resident since July, 2012.  The Beierschmitt family acknowledges the excellent care Joe received from the entire staff during his stay at the facility. Joe was born in Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, to John C. and Margaret (Meenahan) Beierschmitt on November 5, 1924, and was the youngest of seven children.  Immediately after the outbreak of World War II, he enlisted in the Army and served honorably with his unit in several campaigns including New Guinea, Biak Island, and the Philippines. He was proudly associated with Disabled American Veterans.  After returning home, Joe graduated from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in 1950, and subsequently studied tax law at both the University of Michigan and the University of Maryland.  Joe worked as a tax law specialist with the Internal Revenue Service for many years until his retirement in 1980. While he was attending Georgetown University, Joe met a student nurse (Mary Louise Brennan) on a blind date, and subsequently married her on March 31, 1951.  The couple resided in Arbutus, Maryland, until 1963, when they purchased a newly completed house in the Meadowbrook section of Bowie, where they subsequently raised their 4 children.  Joe possessed a keen intellect, and in his earlier years was known for his photographic memory.  He had a passion for maps, history, the arts, and any venue that would lead to learning something new.  He amassed an impressive personal library over the years covering a wide range of different topics.  Joe was an accomplished and highly successful genealogist, publishing “Ancestors and Descendants of Kasper Bayerschmitt” after over 20 years of extensive research.  The book, made available to all members of the Beierschmitt family, traced the family origins back 13 generations to its earliest recorded roots.  The book represents his legacy, a gift for the family to continue to enjoy and build upon for generations to come.  During his later years, Joe suffered many medical setbacks, some of them serious, but he dealt with them with steadfast quiet determination, as was characteristic of his personality. Joe is predeceased by his beloved wife of 62 years Mary Lou, and all six of his siblings.  He is survived by his four sons Mark Joseph of Bowie, Joseph Michael of Annapolis, Michael John and his wife Amber of Bowie, William Paul and wife Michelle of Waterford, Connecticut, his grandson Christopher Michael of San Diego, and many nieces and nephews.  He will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him.  The family will receive visitors at the Beall Funeral Home, 6512 NW Crain Hwy (Rt. 3 South), Bowie, MD on Thursday, December 28, 2017 from 6-8 PM.  A Mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church, 14720 Annapolis Road, Bowie, MD, on Friday, December 29, 2017 at 10:30am. Interment at Maryland Veterans Cemetery, Crownsville, MD at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Disabled American Veterans at https://www.dav.org in honor of Joe.