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He counted among friends and acquaintances people like President Kennedy. He also counted among his friends people whose names few would recognize.

A Democrat, Beaty was chairman of the state party and was Western states coordinator for Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign. He rubbed shoulders with Kennedy's brothers Robert and Edward.

Beaty died March 15 after a series of strokes and bouts of pneumonia took his strength. He was 88.

Beaty moved to Albuquerque when he was 17. An uncle was coming from Texas to New Mexico, and Beaty came with him, said his widow, Rose Marie Beaty.

Beaty founded Rocky Mountain Wholesale, which sold wholesale candy and tobacco. He traveled New Mexico in the 1940s selling his goods. That's how he met people around the state.

After a successful campaign, Kennedy offered Beaty a position on the national board of his choice.

Beaty chose the Renegotiation Board. Launched in 1961, the board was charged with inspecting the income tax returns of companies and corporations with government contracts.

His participation allowed him to travel, which he enjoyed.

When President Johnson stepped into the White House, he asked Beaty to stay with the committee.

Beaty resigned from the board after Richard Nixon, a Republican, became president. Beaty started a public relations firm dealing with tobacco and candy companies. And he kept his hands in politics.

A few years later, Beaty's close friend, D. McCall of Albuquerque went to Washington, D.C., to visit.

Beaty told McCall he could get he and his wife a VIP tour of the White House, so McCall took him up on it, going to a back gate.

"I wear a polo shirt and slacks and walking-around shoes," McCall said. "We go walking in and they show us some rooms. All of a sudden, they said, `Stay in here and have some wine.' About three minutes later, in walks Roslyn Carter and President Carter. They're having a reception."

Beaty didn't tell his friends to dress up for a White House event.

He wasn't pulling a prank, McCall said.

"It was nothing to him. He just called over and said, `My friends are here and why don't you just take care of him.' "

Pretense wasn't his way.

After his tenure with the Johnson administration, Beaty organized state associations for candy and tobacco companies.

That's how he met Joe Robbie, who had a tobacco distributorship in Minnesota.

When Robbie moved to Miami and bought the Dolphins football team, Beaty's commitment to football spiraled.

For about 25 years, he attended every Super Bowl as Robbie's guest, McCall said.

Beaty liked the Dolphins, of course, and the Washington Redskins, because he lived in D.C. for several years, McCall said.

When Beaty moved back to Albuquerque with his wife in 1980, he added the Dallas Cowboys to his list of favorite teams.

His love of football and playing cards at Albuquerque Country Club were more important than a good steak and far less important than family and friends.

Friends are invited to share memories from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Albuquerque Country Club, 601 Laguna Blvd. S.W.