Notes for John Alden Beck

Family Group Sheet

Notes for John Alden Beck

!Source: Stanley W. Beck record

John Alden BeckPUBLISHED ON February 4, 2004Yakima Herald-Republic (WA)Page: 0YAKIMA - John Alden Beck, 80, died Sunday, February 1, 2004. He was born June 13, 1923 in Yakima to John and Dora (Wise) Beck. John spent his childhood in the Nile Valley and moved to Naches, where he attended school through high school graduation. He enlisted in he Army Air Corps in 1942. During that time he attended Georgia Tech and served on the 18th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, repairing disabled fighter planes in the Pacific. He was honorably discharged in 1945, and attended and graduated from Central Washington State College with a bachelor's degree in education in 1947, and a master's degree in 1957.
After teaching for a short time in Lower Naches, John then taught for 19 years in Redmond Jr. High. He moved back to the Yakima Valley in 1966 and taught in Washington Jr. High, Adams Elementary and Lewis and Clark Jr. High. He retired from teaching in 1979. After retirement, John worked for the University of Washington's Engineering Department, instructing young people about the value of mathematics and how it applies to engineering.
John was from one of Yakima's pioneer families that arrived in the Yakima Valley in 1865. He was the great-grandson of Judge John Wilson Beck and Martha Goodwin Beck. John followed in the family tradition of apple farming which was established in the Yakima Valley by Judge Beck. John also followed in the tradition of teaching, started by Martha Goodwin Beck, Yakima's first public school teacher.
John was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Stanley Beck. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Jeanne Mary Farrell Beck; sons, John W. Beck of Yakima, Phil Beck of Seattle and Ted Beck of Chicago; daughters, Eileen Beck of Puyallup and Therese Beck Dougherty of Anchorage; brother, Lawrence Beck of Spokane; and sisters, Elaine Munzer of Pacific Grove, CA and Norma Clark of Selah; grandchildren, Phil and Ryan Dougherty, Adam, Brian, Aaron, Brennan, Gunnar and Joelle Beck.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Yakima YMCA, the Greenway Foundation or Yakima Catholic Charities, in care of the funeral home.
Viewing will be Thursday, February 5, 2004 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. A Vigil service will begin at 7 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m., Friday, February 6, 2004 at Holy Family Catholic Church. Burial and concluding services will immediately follow at Calvary Cemetery.
Arrangements in care of Shaw and Sons Funeral Directors, 201 N. 2nd St., Yakima, WA 98901.