“It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's Superhero Joel!”

At 3:43 p.m. on Thursday, October 22, 2026, Joel Thomas Beatty ascended through the clouds, flying off on his final mission to meet his Creator and be with Jesus. Though his time on Earth was far too short, the love, joy and inspiration he brought to everyone around him will live on forever.

Joel was born on Sunday, July 15, 2018, at 3:43 p.m. in Terre Haute, Indiana, to his loving parents, Autumn and Neil Beatty. From the very beginning, he was the light and joy of their lives, filling each day with laughter, curiosity, adventure and endless love.

Joel had a wonderful imagination and loved to build and create. What began with blocks and Magna-Tiles grew into a passion for Legos. One of his proudest accomplishments was a Lego DeLorean with more than 1,850 pieces, which he and Dad built together last summer. He also loved playing video games, especially Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart World, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sonic and Donkey Kong Bananza. Mario, Bowser Jr. and Sonic were among his favorite characters.

Always active and ready for an adventure, Joel played eight seasons of soccer, beginning at just three years old. He loved riding his bike around the neighborhood, playing baseball with his best friend and neighbor, Beau, and camping with Cub Scout Pack 38, where he was working toward earning his Bear badge. Joel also enjoyed chess and proudly competed in several tournaments. At home, he was just as happy spending time in the kitchen with Mom, where he had perfected the art of making homemade pancakes.

Bright, inquisitive and eager to learn, Joel especially enjoyed math and science. He treasured his friendships, loved his classmates and held a special place in his heart for his teachers, Mrs. Silcock, Mr. Chambers and Mrs. Ferguson, who taught him in first grade and served as his homebound teacher since his diagnosis.

Joel also loved exploring the world around him. His adventures took him to St. Louis, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Gatlinburg, Florida and New York City. Of all the places he visited, New York City was his favorite. He especially loved seeing the Statue of Liberty, Times Square and the American Museum of Natural History.

In late February 2026, Joel was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. With remarkable courage and determination, he endured months of chemotherapy but had achieved remission by June. On October 11, Joel was taken to Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis after developing a high fever. His lungs became severely compromised, and despite the extraordinary efforts of his medical team, his weakened immune system was unable to overcome the illness.

Throughout his journey, Joel demonstrated courage, resilience and strength far beyond his eight years. He faced challenges no child should ever have to endure, inspiring his family, friends and an entire community along the way. Yet Joel was so much more than his diagnosis. He was a son, a big brother, a grandson, a nephew, a friend, a student and, most importantly, a little boy with big dreams, a brilliant mind and a heart full of love. We will forever be proud of our little superhero.

Joel's faith was an important part of his life. One of his final wishes was to be baptized, something he had been asking about for months. On October 20, just two days before his passing, that wish was fulfilled. Though it was not the moment we had imagined, knowing that Joel was able to take this meaningful step in his faith brings us peace and will forever hold a special place in our hearts.

During Joel's illness, our family was surrounded by an extraordinary outpouring of love. We are deeply grateful to our family, friends and community for the prayers, encouragement, fundraisers and countless acts of kindness that carried us through the most difficult days. A special thank-you goes to our “C” families for their unwavering love and support. We will never forget the many people who stood beside us, lifted us up and loved our little boy.

Each night, as we said our goodnights, we would tell Joel we loved him to the moon, the stars and back. And every night, he would reply, “That's a lot of love.”

And it was. And it always will be.

Joel, you are our angel, our darling and our star. Our love will find you, wherever you are. You will forever be our little boy and our superhero. Though our hearts ache without you, we find comfort knowing you are no longer suffering and are resting in the loving arms of Jesus.

Joel was preceded in death by his grandmother, Carolyn Beatty, and his uncle, Brian Beatty.

He is survived by his loving parents, Autumn and Neil Beatty; his little sister, Olivia; his grandparents, Mike Beatty (Judy), Perry Hofmann and Lori Stultz; his aunt, Summer Hofmann (Seth); his uncles, Jared and Matt Hofmann and Lee Hinesley (Wendi); and several great-aunts, great-uncles and cousins.

Joel also leaves behind his special friends Beau and Hadley Kirk, Danny Murphy, Kai Enterline and Collin Pickett; his beloved third-grade classmates; and the many friends, teachers, principal, and community members whose lives he touched.

A Celebration of Life honoring Joel will be held on Thursday, December 10, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., in the gymnasium at Dixie Bee Elementary School.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Joel Beatty Memorial Fund at any First Financial Bank location.

Contributions may also be made through Venmo at @SuperHeroJoel (last four digits: 5080).