By Nicole Hamilton
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Marvin Davidson Beard III had all the qualities of a good reporter. He tenaciously pursued stories, was a skillful writer, and had great knowledge of his subjects.

"He was a delight - and a total pro," said his former colleague, Marty Hogan, who worked with Mr. Beard at the Enquirer. "And he was dogged, really went for it."

Mr. Beard, a former Enquirer reporter, died Tuesday at Albemarle Hospital in Elizabeth City, N.C., of heart failure. The former Northside resident was 71.

Born in Los Angeles and raised in Hardinsburg, Ky., Mr. Beard graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1957 with a degree in journalism. He went on to work for Associated Press bureaus around the country.

He was the youngest AP bureau chief in the nation when he served at the Associated Press offices in Maryland and Delaware.

He worked briefly for a newspaper in Miami, before accepting a position with the National Election Service, where he worked on the 1972 presidential election.

In 1973, he began working at the Enquirer, at first as a general assignment reporter and eventually writing about labor issues.

"He was a great writer," said former Enquirer artist Jerry Dowling of West Chester.

"I remember Marvin as a tireless reporter who didn't stop working when his shift ended," said William A. Weathers, another Enquirer colleague. "While covering the labor beat for the newspaper, he frequently sought out his sources after hours to get the story. He was also very generous with his time with young reporters, willing to teach them the tricks of the trade. He was a great storyteller, both journalism-related and otherwise."

Mr. Beard was president of the Enquirer Editorial Employees Professional Association.

He left the newspaper in 1980 to be the first editor and general manager for the Outer Banks Current in North Carolina.

In 1984, he and his wife Judy started Outer Banks Resort Rentals, a timeshare rental and resale business.

The business was successful. Eventually he became known as "The King of Timeshare."

An avid baseball fan, he participated in the Baltimore Orioles Fantasy Camp in 1993.

A daughter, Ann Beard, preceded him in death.

Besides his wife, survivors include two daughters, Lucy Beard of Sarasota, Fla., and Amy Parcels of Bradenton, Fla.; two stepdaughters, Jane Parks of Richmond, Ind., and Elizabeth Woody of Seattle; a stepson, James Eberhart of Kirkwood, Mo.; eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Memorial service will be at 3 p.m. Friday at Outer Banks Beach Club gazebo, Milepost 9.

Memorials can be made to Dare County SPCA, PO Box 1000, Manteo, North Carolina, 27954.

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Email: nhamilton@enquirer.com