Robert “Bob” Forrest Beck passed away from natural causes on June 9, 2022, at the young age of 99 years old surrounded by family.
Bob was born in Olympia, Washington on Oct. 6, 1922, to Catherine (Glenovich) and Forrest Beck. As a child, he moved around Western Washington as his father took various school administration jobs. This eventually led them to Raymond, Washington in 1930, where his father spent several years as Superintendent of Schools.
Bob’s first job as a teenager was delivering ice for the Dennis Company in Raymond. After graduating high school in 1940, Bob joined the Navy in 1941, to serve in World War II. After training in Jacksonville, Florida and being stationed at Pearl Harbor, he was assigned in July, 1944, to the USS Manila Bay as an Aviation Radioman on a Grumman TBF Avenger aircraft. During the Philippine Invasions, his ship was hit by two kamikaze planes sustaining significant damage and loss of life.
After his service ended in 1946, he attended business college in Olympia. Returning to Raymond, Bob met Eunice Jackson. They married in July 1949 and later added Brad, Debbie, and twins Robin and Robert to their family. Son Wade died as an infant. They lived in the Riverview neighborhood in a house most of it built by Bob himself.
Bob spent most of his life working at the Dennis Company, where he served as accountant and office manager. Bob was well-known around Raymond, where he served as a City Commissioner and as treasurer for the Lions Club. He was very active in St. John’s Episcopal Church in South Bend and the Raymond chapter of the American Legion where he was a member for over 60 years. Bob was an active volunteer throughout the community whenever he saw a need. He could often be found mowing someone’s lawn, delivering calendars to raise money or working the Lions Club booth at the county fair selling pronto pups. Bob was also an avid sports fan and a great supporter of the local Raymond High School basketball teams. When he wasn’t volunteering, he could often be found on the golf course.
After retirement he and wife Eunice enjoyed traveling around the United States meeting up with veterans of the USS Manila Bay. One of his favorite memories was participating in an Honor Flight to Washington D.C. with other Pacific County WWII veterans that recognized their service to our country, culminating as an honored guest at a Mariners game in Seattle.
In 2016, he moved to the Tacoma area to be closer to family and spent the last years of his life in the loving care of his grandson and wife at their adult family home in University Place.
Bob was preceded in death by his wife Eunice in 2014. He is survived by his four children, Brad (Kathleen) Beck of Concord, California; Debbie (Paul) Weisdepp of Port Orchard; Robin (John) Swecker of Longview; and Robert (Paige) Beck of Seattle as well as seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Bob loved Raymond and the surrounding community with a passion. He had so many memories of friends and neighbors that he kept in his heart.
A graveside service will be held on July 16, 2022, at the Menlo cemetery at noon, where Bob will be buried next to his wife. A reception will follow at Willapa Methodist Church, 969 Willapa First St., Raymond, WA.
