Gregarious Peoria business owner dies at 77

Terry Beachler, the second-generation owner of Beachler’s Vehicle Care and Repair in Peoria, has died at 77.

Beachler was a fun-loving, gregarious and outgoing business owner in Peoria who was adored by his customers, his son, Brett Beachler, told the Journal Star.

Terry Beachler made a name for himself in Peoria for not just running his family store on the corner of War Memorial Drive and University Street for five decades, but also was known throughout the years for giving his unfiltered opinions on the happenings of local government in Peoria.

“A lot of people respected him because he was very boisterous about how our government operates locally and he had words to say about it — not mean, but just ‘If I ran my business the way you run this city, I’d be bankrupt,'” Brett Beachler said.

Terry Beachler’s father, Bob, started the business in 1951 and moved it to its current location at War Memorial and University in 1952. Terry began working there as a young man and eventually took over the store in 1984 when Bob died.

After graduating from Richwoods High School, Terry attended Bradley University via the school’s honors program, but ironically enough, Brett says, Terry was kicked out of Bradley for having poor grades. He would go on later to earn three associates degrees from Illinois Central College.

Terry ran the family store until last year when Brett took over. That did not stop Terry from coming into work however, Brett said.

Outside of running his business, Terry was a man of many hobbies, including flying, sailing and riding bikes, Brett said.

But most importantly, Brett says Terry was a good father who did everything he could to instill lifelong lessons in his three children and deliver life experiences they would never forget, including a bicycle trip from Peoria to Central Wisconsin.

“He was one of those guys that was all about lessons and teaching lessons, standing on your own two feet,” Brett said.