WILLIAM N. BECKER

Mar. 15, 1946 – May 2, 2015

On May 2, 2015, at 2:10 p.m., I sat holding Bill’s hand when he died of pancreatic cancer in room E282 at Memorial Medical Center. He was my best friend and husband.

I met Bill at a dance in junior college in Cicero in spring 1966. In conversation several weeks later, I bet him that I had more brothers than he, because I had three. With his ever-present smile, he said I bet wrong – he had seven. Surprised, I remarked – “No sisters?” Yes, he had seven. So began almost 50 years of friendship. He was third oldest in this loving, lively family. We married in June 1968 and spent the next eight years on college campuses, which ended with his Ph.D. in plant pathology in May 1976. In college, new dimensions in his life grew and blossomed – his love of the earth, the soil and plants, mycorrhizal fungi and earthworms.

He spent his professional life as an agricultural consultant, open to learning and new ideas that improved and protected the quality of soil life. Selective about his clients, they had to share his philosophy about God’s earth. His work, paid and volunteer, led to a lifelong quest to grow multiple varieties of tasty tomatoes, giant pumpkins, healthy corn and soybeans and bountiful grapes for wine.

Blessed with a wonderful son, daughterin-law and three granddaughters, we happily danced through our years together. This always-forgiving man loved God first, then me and our family, his faith discussion group, our church family, zumba, poker, the soil, mycorrhizae and earthworms. He loved making ribbon-winning pizzas. His presence in my life enriched and educated me, and we grew in faith and love together.

When I hang two ornaments on the Christmas tree this year – the ear of corn and the can of worms – I’ll remember his smile and miss him.

Carrie Becker, wife