Laurence Albert Becker

Laurence Albert Becker passed away peacefully and began his next adventure on October 25, 2024, at the age of 88. His final days were spent in the comfort of his home that he moved into with his sister Virginia and parents Albert and Sidney Becker when he was 3 years old.

While attending the University of Texas in Austin, Laurence met the love of his life, Rosanne, in the backyard of that same home during a church gathering for college students. They were married three years later and celebrated 63 anniversaries together prior to her passing last year.

Laurence’s life was lived uniquely and fully with a wide range of passions, pursuits, and all-in involvement. If someone asked him what he did for a living they were in for quite an earful! But his stories were rich with detail and enthusiasm. He was most engaged in the world when he was generating connections with people and sharing things he felt passionately about. No one was a stranger to him. If he hadn’t met them before, they were a new friend. Everyone was welcome around the dining table. His heart had room for all.

In his words, he would say his PFE (Purpose for Existing) was:

To Experience

Embody

Express

ReFIREment

each

&

every

day of my life!

He was an accomplished tennis player, was a member of the award winning UT varsity tennis team, served as its Captain and received the Texas Exes Scholarship Award for achieving the highest 4 year scholastic average of any graduating UT athlete. Laurence continued to compete, coach, and cheer on fellow players for many years until he hung up his racket after coaching the Hard Knox Tennis Team with Austin Tennis League. If you asked him the score of ANY game he ever played he would likely tell you exactly what it was.

In 1974 he was introduced to Shaklee and for the next 50 years he wholeheartedly consumed their products and devoted persistent energy to sharing the health and wellness benefits he experienced and felt were possible for others. If you went anywhere with him you were certain to see him offer a packet of Shaklee Pomegranate Tea to someone!

For over 40 years Laurence worked with, and advocated for, some of the world’s most accomplished savant artists with autism and highlighted the fierce love of the artists’ parents in his second documentary entitled Fierce Love and Art, narrated by Temple Grandin. His first documentary, With Eyes Wide Open, narrated by Cactus Pryor, was focused on one of those artists: Richard Wawro from Edinburgh, Scotland. That film was awarded both national and international awards.

Laurence was a passionate educator and challenged his students, and the institutions in which they studied, to think beyond convention, to celebrate creativity and be open to possibilities. He began his teaching career at Shriner Institute and later taught at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, where he founded the Texas Student Film Festival.

Following his tenure at St. Stephen’s, the Becker family went on an epic adventure by moving to Bucks Harbor, Maine (a fishing village, population of 250 in 1975) to live two and a half miles into the woods at The Yurt Foundation so that Laurence could apprentice in Yurt building with the founder, Bill Copperthwaite. Bucks Harbor was considered home for four years after which time the family moved back to Austin and began living in Laurence’s childhood home where he remained until his passing.

Laurence was a lifelong devoted member of the University Presbyterian Church in Austin beginning (as he would say) in utero since his parents were lifelong members as well, always sitting on the front right pew known to family as the “Becker Pew.” He and Rosanne cherished their church family, extended family, and adopted UT students.

Laurence is survived by his three children, Roxy, Amy (her wife Kristen) and David (his wife Heather and daughter Ashley Kate), nephews Leighton (his wife Molly) and Mason Quick, and cousins Gretchen (Becker) Denny and Barbara Becker.

A Celebration of his life was held at University Presbyterian Church, 2203 San Antonio St., Austin, TX on Thursday, October 31 at 2PM. A video of the service can be viewed using the following link:

https://youtu.be/iL_ytsfk3aA

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be offered to two of the many organizations that were important to Laurence: Down Home Ranch [https://www.downhomeranch.org] and Autism Society of Texas [https://www.texasautismsociety.org].