Dr. Rodney Felipe Beetar
Dr. Rodney Felipe Beetar, age 78, of Pearland, Texas passed away peacefully on Friday, April 24, 2020. After a brief battle with failing health, he died with his wife, Kathleen, and his son, Patrick, by his side.
Rodney was born on May 31, 1941 in Cartagena, Colombia to Alfredo and Andrea Beetar. From an early age, he was shown to be very studious and earned top honors from LaSalle School and eventually went on to study dentistry at the University of Cartagena in Colombia. There he met his best friend Amaury de la Espriella, with whom he spoke with every day up to the time of his death. After completing a rural dentistry year with Amaury, he moved to the United States where he completed a residency in prosthodontics at St. Louis University School of Dentistry, followed by a residency in maxillofacial prosthodontics at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. While studying in St. Louis, he met his wife of 49 years, Kathleen. Together Rodney and Kathleen started their lifelong adventure together by moving to Colombia for 3 years, where he served in the Colombian Navy as a dentist. Upon completion of his naval requirements, they moved to Omaha, Nebraska where he completed an advanced standing program to obtain his Doctorate of Dental Surgery at Creighton University.
Rodney and Kathleen moved to Houston, Texas in 1975 where he served as faculty at the University of Texas School of Dentistry until December 2019, retiring after 45 years as a clinical professor. Rodney’s lifelong passion was dental education, and would often be found helping students with their patient cases and giving them the much needed encouragement to continue their rigorous studies. Many of his students looked to him as a father figure and mentor; he was someone who was always willing to listen and make his students smile with his joyful disposition. His love for teaching was exemplified by receiving the most teaching awards in the history of the school of dentistry and the recent distinction of being awarded Professor Emeritus.
Rodney also enjoyed hunting and fishing, and had plans to take up woodworking in his retirement.
He is survived by his wife Kathleen Ann Britt Beetar, son Robert James Beetar, son Patrick Daniel Beetar and his wife Sanaz Beetar, and his granddaughter Darya Beetar, in addition to another granddaughter expected this summer.
Rodney was predeceased by his father Alfredo Beetar, mother Andrea Beetar, and sister Claudette Beetar.
Visitation will be held on Friday, May 1, 2020 from 5-8 pm with a rosary to begin at 7 p.m. at Crowder Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 2, 2020 at 10 a.m. in the chapel of Crowder Funeral Home; 2422 E. Broadway St, Pearland, TX 77581. The graveside interment will be reserved for family only due to a ten-person limit.
For those who can not make the service please join the family in a live stream, copy and paste this link into your browser and it will take you right to his page, https://youtu.be/oofoJTPqdsk
Dr. Beetar was one of a kind, always had a smile and a hello for you. He was very giving of his time! He will be dearly missed.
My dear friend Rodney, you were an inspiration to me when I was one of your dental students and then especially as an academic colleague. Our thanks to you for being the delightful and dedicated person you always were. God’s blessings and peace to your family and you. We miss you, my friend.
Kathy, I am so very sorry for your loss. I”m sure you had big plans for a wonderful life of retirement. As we know God has other plans sometimes. God bless you and your family. Ann Hartman
Dear friend and colleague, we already miss you! All we have learned from you and all your life stories will never be forgotten!
We will miss you my dear friend, teacher and colleague !!! You inspired me !!!
Dr Beeter was my mentor and friend. He taught with a smooth hand and kind word. He will be missed.
I offer deepest condolences to the Beetar family at this very sad time. While my son was deployed to Iraq, Kak invited me to their home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, to be sure I wasn’t alone during the holidays. I’m so sorry for your loss of dear Rodney.
I will always miss my wonderful friend. We had some very good times together and the memories will always be with me.
One of my favorite instructors in dental school.
Joe French, DDS 1977
A very good dentist . very kind and caring
A wonderful dentist . very kind and caring
I enjoyed every conversation I had with Dr. Beetar. He would correct my Spanish in such a loving way that impressed me to remember correct pronunciations. He expressed a love for teaching like no other.
Hasta luego, amigo! Sending prayers and blessings over your family, ’til we meet again.
Peaceful Journey Dr. Beetar until we meet again.
Katie, so sorry for your loss. you are in my prayers
My dear friend.
I just want to say how grateful I am for the few years we got to know each other, for the memories we made together and the meals we shared. For all the jokes you made and the laughs we shared.
How devoted your life was and how powerful your influence on countless lives.
May God receive you in his Glory!
The school will never be the same without you.
Good bye for now friend.
Every thing I learnt from April 1997 to present came from Dr. Beetar, my mentor and friend. A true life-line. Joyful personality. He will be truly missed.
Be strong Patrick! With sympathy.
Everill Marcano
…and Nurys Brokate (Columbia)
I am sad that you are no longer with us. I smile thinking that your spirit will forever be around us all. You will be missed, my dear friend. Our conversations always contained a joke and you somehow sensed that I needed a laugh when I was having a rough day. It was an honor to know you and a privilege to assist whenever you needed my help. I will treasure your memory and the Astros cap you gave me with your “autograph”. Descansa en paz.
Dr Beetar was one of my most favorite teachers in school! He was enthusiastic, friendly and was an amazing mentor! Not to mention his down to earth character. He will be missed! My prayers are with you, Patrick my friend!
Dr. Beetar was one of my favorite professors. He was always encouraging and kind. I can honestly say that I was lucky to have met him, grateful to have learned a great deal from him, and blessed for his friendship.
You will be greatly missed, Dr. Beetar.
Carlos F. Carrión, DDS
UTDB Class of 2011
One of the best! We will miss you, Dr. Beetar
I miss his smile and friendly ways. He taught me much about dentistry and life. He was a ray of light in our community. May he Rest In Peace. I will miss making coffee with him early in the morning at school and him inspiring me.
One of my very favorite professors. He was kind, funny, and was always encouraging us “girls”. My lab partners, Maury Hafernik, John Hackbarth and Rick Hammond, along with Dr. B gave me a birthday present one year I will never forget. God bless all that he contributed to over the years. You will be missed.
My heart is sadden to know my beloved professor Dr Beetar pass. I am forever grateful for your teaching and compassion. You will be greatly missed by all. My deepest condolences to Dr. Beetar family. Rest in peace Dr. Beetar, one of the greatest dental professors.
Dear Kathleen,
I am so sorry for your loss. I hope you and your sons are doing well Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.
God’s blessing to you. Hugs, Linda
My sincerest condolences to the Beetar family. What an incredibly compassionate human being was Dr. Beetar. I remember fondly the times in lecture when he had us rolling in our seats with laughter. We will miss you greatly, Dr. Beetar!
I always looked forward to clinic days when I would be working with Dr.Beetar. He was such a bright spot in my dental education as I’m sure he was with countless other students.
Paula Gallup, DDS
UTDB Class of 1996
I miss my teacher from dental school. I appreciated working across the hall the past five years at UTSD. He was always happy to talk baseball and his beloved Yankees.
I cherish those Saturday mornings when we both were at UTSD when I had the privilege getting to know Robert. Dr. Beetar’s love of his family and passion for dental education were constant.
An excellent clinician, mentor and friend. Dr. Beetar and his son joined Ty Black, Aaron Polk and me on a weekend hunt in Cotulla, TX in the late ’90s. We had so much fun that I still think of that trip and laugh. Prayers for his family.
Steve Banks
UTDB Class of 2001
Siempre el mejor amigo, el mejor profesor, el mejor compañero, el mejor anfitrión, acudí por más de 15 años a los cursos para latinos, siempre atento con todos nosotros, inolvidable ,QEPD, ,mi querido amigo Dr Beetar ,
I just found out about his passing and I’m really chapped at myself for not making contact before now. What a great guy he was and a absolutely great teacher. He’d tease us but never condescendingly. Often he popped into my designated lab and hand me a hydro cal model and tell me to survey it and design a partial denture, a skill which he developed in me that I used often when writing details of lab scripts. Major connectors, rest seats, and undercut locations were always drawn and described in writing. I never let a lab design a rpd for me. Dr Beetar gave me the confidence and skill that newer dentists graduate without these days.
I always liked him because he loved his students, not like the few who were ambivalent or treated their jobs like a sinecure . Thank you Dr Beetar