Roosevelt Beard, Jr., was born on January 27, 1952, to the late Roosevelt Beard, Sr., and the late Dorothy Faison Beard in Fort McCoy, FL. In 1957, at the age of five, he and his family relocated to Port St. Joe, FL. During his youth in Port St. Joe, Roosevelt discovered a deep love for music, which led him to become a skilled drummer in a local band. His talent also earned him a spot as a drummer in the marching band at Washington High School in North Port St. Joe.
After graduating from Washington High School in 1970, Roosevelt returned to Fort McCoy, where he applied his expertise as a certified welder, working for a local company in the Ocala area for nearly 20 years. In the early 1990s, he launched his renowned business, Roosevelt’s Barbecue — Home of the Pile, which has proudly served thousands of customers for over three decades. In recent years, Roosevelt passed down his legacy by training his sons in the art of barbecue, and they continue to uphold the family tradition, serving central and north Florida with excellence.
Roosevelt’s spiritual journey began as a child when he attended church with his parents at Oak Grove Baptist Church in Fort McCoy and the First Born Church of the Living God in Port St. Joe, FL. In the summer of 1987, a sermon by Pastor Wender Gavin at the Progressive Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Tallahassee, FL titled “The Price is Too High, the Risk is Too Great,” profoundly impacted him. This message resonated with Roosevelt and that day he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior, was baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and received the gift of the Holy Ghost…