George Henry BECK

Enid News and Eagle Enid, Garfield Co., OK

11-19-2013

Submitted by: Jo Aguirre

George Henry Beck, of Tulsa, died Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010, in Tulsa surrounded by his loving family. Funeral service will be 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010, at John Knox Presbyterian Church, Tulsa. Interment is 2:30 p.m. in Memorial Park Cemetery, Enid, Okla. Arrangements by Moore’s Rosewood Chapel, Tulsa, Okla.

George was born on a farm near Kremlin, Okla., on Feb. 24, 1926, to Minnie Johanna Koeber Beck and Thomas Michael Garfield Beck. He graduated from Kremlin High School as valedictorian in 1944. He enlisted in the Navy, serving on the LSM 241 and at Iwo Jima until his honorary discharge in 1946.

George returned home and attended Oklahoma A&M and studied mechanical engineering. He met Nellie June Manning at First Presbyterian Church youth group in Stillwater, Okla. They were married in the church on Aug. 22, 1948. He graduated from OSU with a mechanical engineering degree in 1949. Mr. Beck loved his profession and enjoyed a long career in the international pipeline industry. He accepted a position at Williams Brothers Engineering in Tulsa and stayed for 26 years, ultimately serving as senior vice president until 1985.

During his career, his passports reflected over 44 countries, countless friends and experiences all over the world. He was a registered professional engineer in Oklahoma and Texas, a member of American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Oklahoma Society of Professional Engineers and National Society of Professional Engineers and Pipeliners of Tulsa. In 2001 he was honored as “Pipeliner of the Year” by the Pipeliners Club of Tulsa.

He was a member of John Knox Presbyterian Church, Tulsa, from 1959 to 2010, serving as deacon, elder and trustee. He loved his family, profession, traveling the countries and different cultures of the world.

He is survived by his daughter, Johanna Beck-Williams of Stillwater, Okla., and granddaughter Malissa of Dallas, Texas; son, Robert Christopher Beck, grandson Ryan Beck, granddaughters Christina June Beck and Jacqueline Bocanfusso of Orinda, Calif.; cousins, Leroy and Helen Frost of Kremlin, Okla., and Orville Beck of Wichita, Kan. Sisters-in-law, Mildred Beck of Cleveland, Okla., and Ladine Beck; nephews, Stuart Beck of Cleveland, Okla., and Dale and David Beck; niece, Kathleen Beck-Muth of Fort Lupton, Colo.; second cousin, Lee Frost of Sapulpa Okla.