Robert J. Beckman grew up in Ashtabula, Ohio, an only child raised by his mother after his father died suddenly when Bob was still a young boy of 7. Bob’s 3 aunts, 3 uncles, and his maternal grandmother were instrumental in helping raise him. Bob excelled in sports, especially football, where he played halfback and defensive back. Academically, he was a National Merit Scholar, and was elected and served as the president of his student council his senior year.
Bob had multiple college scholarship options, including Stanford and Cornell, but chose to come to the Naval Academy in Annapolis as a principal appointee of his Congressman (USNA Class of 1971, 25th Company). At USNA, and really throughout his life, Bob was the extrovert's extrovert, never without multiple jokes or stories to tell. Athletically, he rowed crew plebe year and played intramural sports such as company football and field ball. An Economics major, he managed to win an Immediate Graduate Education Program (IGEP) scholarship to the Naval Postgraduate School (NPGS), Monterey and completed a master's degree in less than one year at NPGS, prior to sea duty.
Some of Bob's fondest memories after graduation and NPGS (and the sources of most of his "top ten" sea stories) involved his service as a junior combat systems officer in USS TOWERS (DDG 9); and (after transferring to Supply Corps) as the Supply Department Head in USS KINKAID (DD 965). Both ships were homeported in San Diego and both deployed to the Western Pacific. TOWERS had "gun line" duty during the Vietnam War and the KINDAID rescued Americans from Iran immediately after the Shah was overthrown.
After sea duty Bob served in the Pentagon in Washington, DC and despite his deep selection to Lt. Commander, he decided to leave active duty for a position with Lockheed Martin. Bob's Lockheed tenure saw him rise quickly to vice president, in charge of a geographic region in the company's emerging information technology business. But this wasn't enough challenge, either, so after several years he struck out on his own and began a management consulting practice, In Perspective, LLC, which he successfully operated until the time of his death.
Bob is survived by his loving wife and soul mate of 29 years, Janice Fleming. Their 30th wedding anniversary would have been on September 21st. Bob was 63. Bob is also survived by two cousins, Michael Laituri of Antioch, CA, Melinda Laituri of Fort Collins, CO, and an uncle, M. John Laituri of Painesville, OH.
Bob died suddenly on September 5, 2012 at his home in Arlington, Virginia.
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