The wit of Scottish muralist Alan Wylie was a fit match for West Seattle's gregarious Moe Beerman in the summer of 1992.

Beerman - the companion, collaborator and front man for the internationally renowned artists who in 1989-93 created the 11 Murals of West Seattle - awoke Wylie at 6:30 each morning for two months to dig into and complete what became the richly colored "Bank Day" classroom mural covering the north wall of the Washington Mutual building in the Junction.

Wylie's technique of preparing the surface with white, grey and black hues and covering them with a pink wash to let tonal values bleed through impressed the classically trained Beerman.

"That's what Leonardo and the boys did," Beerman said in typical down-to-earth drollery. "If it was good enough for them, it's good enough for us."

Wylie paid his own tribute to West Seattle's da Vinci on the mural's dedication day, Sept. 11, 1992, by including Beerman in his final brush strokes. Onto the most prominent student desk in the foreground of the 1923 scene, Wylie painted three letters in a boyish scrawl: MOE.

"Oh, they're gonna get on my case for marking up the desk," Beerman responded in mock alarm. "Oh my God, now I'm in trouble again."

"That was Moe's desk," Wylie shot back with a grin, "right down in the front where the teacher could keep an eye on him."

Beerman no longer will train his artistic eye on West Seattle. He died August 16 of respiratory complications.

A memorial service is scheduled at Fauntleroy Church UCC, 9260 California Ave. S.W., for 4 p.m. on what would have been Beerman's 88th birthday, Monday, Sept. 29.

The Murals of West Seattle project, led by Junction business leader Earl Cruzen, was the joint inspiration of Cruzen and Beerman, who with their wives vacationed together in Northwest locales.

Helping muralists to depict scenarios from West Seattle's history was a capstone to Beerman's long career as a commercial artist, cartoonist, float-maker, sign-painter and community volunteer. He served as the murals' artistic backbone, and his invaluable contributions to the project became his legacy.

"Best thing that ever happened to me," he said in 1991. "I was able to meet some top-notch artists."

"He loved that," Cruzen said. "He was in his glory. He'd go overboard sometimes, we'd have to hold him back. But it was the climax of his life."

Born Moses Morris Beerman on Sept. 29, 1920, in Waco, Texas, he grew up with seven siblings in an orphanage in New Orleans. Taking professional art lessons at Delgado Trade School, he helped make papier-m