Lamar Beck

He was Lamar Beck, the owner’s son, who started working there almost as soon as he could reach the gas pumps. Lamar grew up at the gas station alongside his father where he learned life lessons about hard work, responsibility and running a business.

Those lessons set the stage for him to become a successful businessman. Lamar’s only son, Roger, and Darren, who he loved as a son, became his business partners and the trio eventually transformed his father’s service station into an empire of 60 car washes in nine states and became industry leaders.

Roger “Lamar” Beck Sr., died November 23, 2023, at his home in Upatoi, Georgia, while Sandra, his beloved wife of more than 50 years held his hand. He was 87.

Lamar’s life was centered around hard work, family, faith, and, as often as possible, fishing. He was a longtime member of First Baptist Church of Columbus, Georgia, where he taught Sunday school and was a force behind the Victory Mission.

He was never happier than when he was on the water, in his later years aboard his 48-foot trawler, the LulaBelle, named for two of his granddaughters.

The foundation for Lamar’s life was set during his childhood in Anniston. He was born on July 24, 1936, in Opelika, Alabama, to Roger Dillard and Joyce Turner Beck.

He spent so much time at his father’s gas station that it became a popular gathering place for his friends. Lamar took up drag racing. Driving a car with a sign that read “Sponsored by Dear Old Dad,” Lamar competed in the Southeast Drag Championship in Atlanta and the National Drag Races in Oklahoma City.

Lamar graduated from Anniston High School in 1954. He later attended Jacksonville State University in Alabama and served in the Army Reserves. By that time, his father had added a car wash to his service station. Previously, car washes were only done by hand, but Lamar was always interested in using the latest technology to improve the experience.

In the early 1960s Lamar bought a car wash in Huntsville, Alabama. The car wash had a “magic tunnel,” an early feature of mechanization. Under his ownership, the Magic Tunnel Car Wash became a success and Lamar’s role as a carwash man was cemented.

In 1972, he and his wife, Sandra Beck née Parsley and their family, which would grow to include four daughters and a son, moved to Columbus, GA to purchase the Goo-Goo Car Wash. With Sandra at his side, acting as bookkeeper, cashier, and secretary the business flourished. Together with his son, Roger, and business partner, Darren Bradham, he started the Goo-Goo Express Car Wash chain in 2001.

Lamar loved to take long road trips to scout new locations for car washes. Before long there were 60 Goo-Goo Car washes in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan and Mississippi. Lamar remained active in the business until it sold in 2017. He was a long time board member and president of the Southeastern Car Wash Association, an industry trade group.

Lamar and Sandra enjoyed spending time with their children and grandchildren and volunteering at First Baptist Church. As often as they could get away, they traveled. Lamar and Sandra were best friends and true life partners. After years of prioritizing his business and his family, in his late 70s, Lamar took up his boyhood racing hobby, this time in a bright red Austin-Healey. He and his son, Roger attended every College National Championship game until his health no longer permitted.

When he wasn’t working, Lamar was fishing. He navigated the Intracoastal Waterway from Myrtle Beach to Miami. He traveled as far north as Alaska and as far south as the Amazon simply to fish.

Lamar was devoted to his community and church. Young people often approached him about jobs at his growing car wash business. He was always willing to give people a chance, on one condition: they had to be willing to work to his exacting standards.

Former employees who moved on to achieve success in other fields would later tell him that they developed their work ethic at the car wash.

He held leadership roles at First Baptist Church and served as a deacon. Often on Sunday mornings Lamar would visit the Victory Mission, put on an apron and cook breakfast for members of the community before attending services. Lamar was not only generous with his time, but also monetarily. The campus that houses Victory Mission was recently named the Lamar Beck Campus, even though he would have preferred that his gifts remained anonymous. In 2023 The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International named Lamar Beck a Paul Harris Fellow.

For decades, Lamar was the Director of the Youth Department at First Baptist Church. In the early 1980s, he and his close friend, Doug Pullen, began an annual youth boys’ fishing trip to Bay City Lodge in Apalachicola, Florida. It was the highlight of the year and Lamar kept in touch with many of the boys for the rest of his life. As a tribute to Lamar’s lifelong influence, all of the boys, many who are now grown men, have been asked to be honorary pallbearers at his funeral.

Lamar Beck was preceded in death by his father Roger Dillard Beck, his mother, Joyce Turner Beck and his beloved daughter, Karmon Nicole Beck. He is survived by his wife, Sandra Beck of Upatoi, Georgia, his daughter, Viki Gilmore of Phenix City, Alabama, his son, Roger Lamar Beck Jr. and wife, Jennifer Beck of Hamilton, Georgia, one he loved as a son, Darren Bradham and wife Anna Bradham of Auburn, Alabama, daughter, Brandi Beck and husband, Andrew Rosen of New York, New York, and daughter Cortney Novogratz and husband, Robert Novogratz of New York, New York; and grandchildren Slayton Gilmore of Atlanta, Georgia, Jessica Escamilla of Atlanta, Georgia, Langston Gilmore of Augusta, Georgia, Wolfgang Novogratz of New York, New York, Bellamy Novogratz and husband, Graydon Sheinberg of Los Angeles California, Tallulah Novogratz of New York, New York, Breaker Novogratz of New York, New York, Daria Fowler of New York, New York, Five Novogratz of New York, New York, Holleder Novogratz of New York, New York, Major Novogratz of New York, New York, and loved as grandchildren Banks, Beck, and Zadie Bradham of Auburn, Alabama ; and sister, Joanne Delaney of Rome, Georgia.

The Beck family would like to thank the wonderful caregivers who lovingly cared for Lamar in the last months of his life, Lynn Meharg, Judy Washington, and Berdnetta Minniefield.

Visitation will be held on Friday, December 1st from 6-8pm at Striffler-Hamby Mortuary. Funeral Service will be held at First Baptist Church on Saturday, December 2nd at 2pm with Reverend Dr. Jimmy Elder officiating, with burial to follow immediately after at Parkhill Cemetery. Fellowship will follow at the Beck home in Upatoi, Georgia. Serving as pallbearers will be Slayton Beck Gilmore, Langston Barrett Gilmore, Wolfgang Francis Novogratz, Breaker Owsley Novogratz, Five Beck Novogratz, Holleder Street Novagratz, and Major Robert Novogratz. Honorary Pallbearers will be The Fishing Boys.

In lieu of flowers, the Beck family requests that you consider donating to Victory Mission or Columbus Hospice of Georgia and Alabama.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.shcolumbus.com for the Beck family.