Al & Iria Beeler

Al and Iria were the driving force that kept the Lakewood Winter Club and the Lakewood Ice Arena together from 1960-1982. They started going to the ice arena in 1953 when their daughter, Marianne, started skating. Iria started working at the rink as a bookkeeper in 1954 and became the manager in 1968, a job she held until the rink closed in 1982. Al became very active in the club and was president for eight years. He also held other offices such as treasurer and test chairman, and he served on the Board of Directors for more than 25 years. He became interested in judging and earned his Gold judge credentials, which qualified him to judge Gold figure and freestyle tests, the highest possible level. He was also very involved in the annual ice shows and spent countless hours building props. He also worked tirelessly when the LWC hosted the 1987 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Tacoma. When the Lakewood Ice Arena collapsed in 1982, Al worked hard to forge a relationship with Pierce County Parks & Recreation Department, allowing the LWC to transfer its operation to Sprinker Recreation Center. Sprinker has been the LWC’s home for the past 25 years. The Beeler Award, named for Al and Iria, is given to the skater judged to present the most artistic performance within the club.