Beam died from heart disease Thursday at the Cleveland Clinic. He was 73.

A lifelong local resident, Beam was a Bishop Guilfoyle High School (1970) and Penn State graduate (1974) who left his mark in both sports and politics.

His association with Penn State athletics spanned more than 50 years. He was part of the Penn State TV and then radio network as a spotter and statistician, dating back to the days of Ray Scott, George Paterno, Fran Fisher and Stan Savran and continuing with Steve Jones and Jack Ham.

“Ted loved Penn State,” said Roger Corey, a close friend and current director of the PSU Radio Network. “He was so happy to be behind the scenes because that’s where all the action was. If he could call out some things to Fran and George, he would. He communicated patterns that he saw, especially to George, who didn’t need much help. He and Ted had quite a relationship.”

Altoona Curve official scorer Ted Beam works in the pressbox on April 14, 2010. Mirror file photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Corey said Beam would “point to the tunnel when he saw the Lions were ready to come out,” and alert the announcers, a symbol of his excitement.

“He just had so much joy,” Corey said.

Beam’s presence built on a legacy of Altoonans helping the broadcast crew, dating back to Dick Richards and fellow support personnel such as Corey, John Grohol, Jeff Webster, Charlie Fisher, Ron Rickens and Skip Dry.

“Ted was proud of the fact that there was always somebody from Altoona working in the booth,” Corey said.

Beam later worked as a scoreboard and clock operator at Beaver Stadium and the Bryce Jordan Center.

Along with his wife, Cathy, Beam also served as a Big Ten evaluator of officials, an extension of his tenure as a leader in Altoona’s Gerald Spaulding Chapter of basketball referees.

In fact, in the 1990s, Beam was pressed into service to officiate a PSU men’s basketball game at Rec Hall when a crew member scratched due to travel.

Beam officiated two PIAA championship games.

“Ted was a great mentor and teacher to many, including me,” said Chris Rickens, the District 6 male officials representative. “He was a consummate professional. He took control and never let things get out of hand. He was a leader in both our basketball and football chapters. I will miss him greatly.”

Beam was old enough to have worked with past veteran officials such as Ron Rickens, Dave Heim and Jim Andrews, but was also a bridge to the current generation.

“It’s a big loss,” referee Clark Adelman said. “We were all very close to Ted. His sole purpose was to make us better as officials and to keep District 6 and the Gerald Spalding Chapter as one of the best in the state.”

Fellow official and Lakemont Park Basketball League director Skip Dry was especially close to Beam. The two served as official scorekeepers and worked the scoreboard at Altoona Curve games.

“It was a great friendship on many levels,” Dry said. “We just seemed to click on the same level. Whether it would be going for a beer to Pellegrine’s or Cathy going with us, we’ve been friends for a long time.”

Curve general manager Nate Bowen said the team is planning a tribute to Beam next season.

“Ted Beam was a great member of the Altoona Curve family,” Bowen said. “He always supported the Curve in the community and in his days as a county commissioner. He is an integral reason why the Curve are as successful as we have been.”

After spending much of his career as a teacher, Beam won a seat on Altoona City Council and then served two terms as a Blair County commissioner.

“I considered Ted a friend and colleague in the community for over 40 years,” former Commissioner Donna Gority said. “When I was first elected as commissioner in 1984, Ted was elected to his first term on Altoona City Council. He always had a very open and friendly manner. It was obvious that he cared about the community. Ted was one of the good guys.”

Fellow Commissioner Bruce Erb called Beam “a mentor-teacher kind of person.”

“Ted was so interested in youth,” Erb said. “When I came into office, he took every opportunity to help teach me the ropes. He was very helpful, and our friendship blossomed from that. He was a public servant in a variety of ways. He was very compassionate, and he deeply cared about the people.”

Beam is survived by his wife, Cathy, and several siblings and their families.

“Ted just rolled from one season to the next — from football to basketball to baseball,” Cathy Beam said. “Everything was planned around that. His calendar was full of sports, politics and other activities.”

The two met through officiating and have been married 26 years. In April, Cathy Beam will be inducted into the Blair County Sports Hall of Fame, the first official to be enshrined.

“It’s a damn shame Ted won’t be there,” Dry said. “That was one of the things he wanted to see.”

In spirit, he will be, Cathy said.

“We were longtime best friends, and we got married,” she said. “We were proud of each other.”

Friends will be received from 3 to 8 p.m. today at The Stevens Mortuary in Altoona. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.