We dedicate this season to friends lost and remembered.
Jerry Wheeler
Jerry Wheeler passed away on February 28, 2021, at Home + Hospice House Monument Health in Rapid City, SD after a 22-year courageous battle with Parkinson's Disease. Jerry was a tenacious leader during his tenure as a trade association director and lobbyist; being recognized for his ability as a troubleshooter and problem-solver. Jerry was able to bring people together and understood the need for compromise when working through the legislative process. He earned a reputation as an honest and trustworthy lobbyist. Calm in the face of conflict, but strong and forceful when necessary, Jerry could fight the good fight, believing in the issues and people he represented. One of his strengths was knowing when to admit he didn't know something, but then used his energy to go find the answer. Jerry was serving as the President of the Black Hills Playhouse Board of Directors when the Playhouse was in danger of losing its lease to the historic site in Custer State Park in 2009. Working diligently, he lead the effort to save the Playhouse, enact legislation to preserve it, and to get the lease restored. Jerry’s storytelling was legendary and he is greatly missed by family and friends who enjoyed his sense of humor. We are grateful to his wife, Kelly, for establishing the Jerry Wheeler Memorial Fund and thank all who have donated in his honor to strengthen and preserve the Playhouse for future generations.
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Barry LeBeau
The final curtain came down for Barry LeBeau March 21st, 2020 in Pierre, SD. He was an actor, musician, grant writer, program administrator, voracious reader, and 30 year lobbyist for the arts and the tribes in South Dakota. He died suddenly and peacefully in his apartment next to the Grand Opera House where he had performed often. He was 69. Barry had a career as a professional actor, speaker, and lobbyist. In many ways these lifelong passions complimented each other; he was as skilled with the rules of legislative process as he was quoting lines from Shakespeare. Barry earned his acting chops beginning with community theatre in Pierre but has credits in Sioux Falls, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and at the Black Hills Playhouse in Custer State Park, perhaps his favorite venue. As a professional, he provided voice talent to several documentaries and television commercials, including the award winning short film Ghost Dance. He was the narrator for the feature length America's Great Indian Leaders, and America's Great Indian Nations. Film credits include Charles Nauman’s Yes, I am not Iktomi, Andrew Kightlinger's Dust Of War and Molli Cameron's Lakota Girls. Barry raised money and served on the Board (often as President) for countless South Dakota arts organizations including the South Dakota Arts Council, Black Hills Film Festival, Black Hills Playhouse Alumni Association, Northern Plains Indian Arts Market, and Pierre Players. As a lobbyist, Barry was a 30 year advocate for the Arts. But closer to his heart he was also a proud, tireless and effective advocate for South Dakota’s Indian County and its people. Barry worked as an Indian affairs lobbyist, a tribal affairs consultant and speaker, and a longtime program administrator for the United Sioux Tribes.
