William Thomas Beck

I first met Bill on a blind date, set up by his brother, Virgil.  He was living in South Salt Lake at the time and I was living in St. George.  They say long-distance relationships don't work, but it did for us.  We kept things going over the phone for two years.  In September of 1979, I went up to see him in South Salt Lake and he proposed to marry me under a blossoming tree while on a walk.  I told him I'd be stupid not to.  We were married and sealed June of 1980 (42 years this June) in the St. George Temple – with many, many, many people around.  My high school principal was a sealer and when  asked if he would do the honors, he said he'd be stupid not to.

For the next three years we lived in the University Village at the University of Utah while Bill finished his bachelor's degree in education.  During General Conference weekend, October of 1983, Bill received a call to teach at the middle school in Sunny Side, East Carbon, Utah.  He got the job without even interviewing which started his career in teaching.  We lived in a rickety old trailor provided by the school in East Carbon for a year until the mines closed, residents moved on, and the school closed.  Bill and I came back to South Salt Lake and Bill substituted all around the Valley while he looked for something more permanent.

In 1987, short-term subbing turned into long-term subbing at Joel P. Jensen Middle School when Bill was hired to fill in for a music teacher on maternity leave.  The teacher he was filling in for never returned and he was given a contract to teach full-time. He taught at Joel P. Jensen for 29 years until he retired.  I don't know how he did it, but he loved it.  He wanted kids to learn music so they would have something solid in their lives.  While teaching there, he got his master's degree from the University of Phoenix in music education.  Some of his students followed up through the years as they moved on to get degrees in music, too.  He had a strong, positive impact on many, many students throughout the years with his music and his teaching.

During these 29 years, we also raised a family.  Harmony came to us in November of 1985, Philip in January of 1989, Garitty in June of 1991, Prentice in December of 1993, and, finally, Cadence in March of 1997.  So in a span of 12 years – five kids.  In February of 2017 (5 years ago), Prentice passed away from medullary thyroid cancer.  Bill took it really hard when he lost his son.  He managed his grief the best he could by writing him a beautiful song. I'm sure he's sung it to him on the other side already.  They were always close.  

We all loved playing sports, music, and games, and going fishing together.  They all had their favorite game to play with Bill.  It was fun to just watch them interact and laugh. I'm really proud of my kids for sharing their thoughts and talents today.

Bill was proceded in death by his mother, Billie May Beebe Beck, his father, Reed Atwood Beck, and his son Prentice Allyn Beck.  He is survived by his loving wife, MelodyAnne Sprague Beck, his daughter Harmony Larissa Beck Ward (Bryan), his sons; Philip Reed Beck (Tierra), Garitty William Beck (Johnnylin), Jedidiah Beck (Itzyana), and daughter, Cadence Leigh Beck.

I miss Bill.