Family Remembers Oklahoman Killed in NASA Shooting

Monday, April 23rd 2007, 11:08 am

By: News On 6

There is a Tulsa connection to the latest shocking case of violence in the workplace. Memorial services are set for an engineer shot and killed while working at NASA in Houston. Sixty-two-year-old David Beverly is a Broken Arrow graduate, who has family and friends in the Tulsa area. He's being remembered for his strength and for being an encouragement to others.

Donna Freymuth says the weekend has been a blur, a time of heartache and sadness. Freymuth's brother, Beverly, was shot and killed while working at NASA in Houston.

"It was senseless. It didn't need to happen. It just did not need to happen," said Freymuth.

Beverly was working in an electronics laboratory at Johnson Space Center. A co-worker, 61-year-old Bill Phillips, smuggled in a gun, killed Beverly and held another coworker hostage after Phillips got a poor job performance review. Phillips then turned the gun on himself.

"You take one life and you think one person and he's going to take one life and you don't realize how many lives it affects,â€ said Freymuth. â€œHundreds of people who knew him and admired him and went to school with him and, it's just crazy."
Beverly graduated from Broken Arrow High School in the 1960's, and was married to his wife Linda for 41 years. Freymuth remembers her brother for his kindness and strength. She says he always had encouraging words for others.

"I just remember him always being there,â€ Freymuth said. â€œI went away to college and he would always write me letters and he was just there for everybody."

And for Freymuth, knowing her brother isn't here any longer is still so new, so senseless and so difficult. The family asks for prayer.

"That's what is getting us through all this,â€ said Freymuth. â€œWe have lots of people praying for us."

NASA will hold a memorial for Beverly in Houston Wednesday morning. A funeral service will also take place at Beverly's church Thursday. Details are being worked out for another service which will be held here on May 4th at Arrow Heights Church in Broken Arrow.

Related story:

4/20/2007 - Gunman Kills One Hostage And Self In NASA Standoff, NASA Pledges To Review Security