Christine Anice Beckerman

Christy was a force. If you knew her, you already know this. She was honest and authentic, and you always knew where you stood with her. She had a spirited personality with a fierce sense of right and wrong. From advocating for equal playtime at a middle school basketball game to getting a coupon fully honored at the grocery store to insisting on a higher standard of medical care for her family, she was unafraid to stand up for herself or others. Because of this, her family always knew they had an unyielding advocate in their corner.

Protection was only a small part of what Christy provided for the people she loved. She was the matriarch of her family, who she loved unconditionally. They were the center of her universe. She nurtured her entire family, while taking exceptional care of her father, husband, children, and grandchildren. She provided a soft place to land or a reassuring boost to forge ahead, depending on what the situation required. Christy was the organizer-of-all-things and lead cheerleader for the family’s many athletic endeavors. She always ensured everyone’s sweet tooth was fully satisfied and all were safe and accounted for. Her granddaughters can attest that her lap was the most magnificent place to take a nap. With her body, mind and soul, she loved us all with everything she had.

Christy had a strong sense of faith. She belonged to the St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church to which she dedicated countless hours volunteering and serving. It was important to her to learn and pass on many of the “small t” Greek traditions she learned from the previous generation of parishioners. Her baking skills were especially appreciated.

Creativity was another one of Christy’s many talents. She made many things over the years, crafting earrings, baking sweets and cakes (even a few wedding cakes!), and numerous stained glass projects. She loved working on her Cricut, outfitting many a person with custom t-shirts, including the entire St. Anthony Hospital Radiation Oncology staff. She promoted creativity with her daughter and granddaughters, helping them make countless whimsical, and sometimes messy, masterpieces.

Christy couldn’t pass up a good deal, always on the hunt for the best possible bargain. In fact, it had to be a good deal or it was no deal, from new cars to garage sales. This was an area where her grit and determination truly shined. She spent countless hours clipping coupons, perusing auctions, and scouring the internet for the best price of an item.

She was a second generation Colorado native. She was born in Grand Junction, Colorado, to George and Garnet Sophocles and welcomed by her older brother, Tim. When she was two years old, the family moved to the Denver area and in 1962, they moved into their home in Lakewood, which is still an important hub for the family today. She was in the first graduating class of Green Mountain High School in 1975.

Following high school, she attended Colorado State University (CSU). She was a dedicated student assistant (SA) for Allison Hall dormitory, where she was known as “the Greek” or Christy “Colour my World” Sophocles. Even then, her honest and tenacious nature shined, with her dorm mates describing her as having “a colorful personality and a fiery temper common to the ancient Greeks.” It was at CSU that she met the love of her life, Dale Beckerman. They were both forestry majors and first became acquainted after being placed together for a group project. They had their first date on halloween and then were married the following May after she completed her bachelor's degree in outdoor recreation. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Cedarville, California, where Dale worked as a wildland firefighter. They spent the summer in California and then returned to Fort Collins for Dale to finish his bachelor’s degree. Upon learning that their family would soon be expanding, they decided to remain in Colorado. With the help of Christy’s mother, who worked for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado State Office, Dale secured a job with the BLM wildland fire crew in Craig, Colorado.

Jenna Christine was born November 25, 1984, followed by John Russell on July 6, 1986. Christy was a dedicated stay-at-home mom while Jenna and John were small, filling their days with coloring, crafts and play dates with friends made from her Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) group.

When Jenna and John started school, Christy went back to work, first as a bus driver for the school district and then as an administrative assistant for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). She eventually became office manager at CDOT, retiring in 2009. After retirement, she worked several other short term jobs until she finally found her passion in wildland fire dispatching for the BLM/US Forest Service. Through dispatching, she was able to travel the country and meet a wide variety of people, which she loved. She completed assignments in Alaska, California, Florida, Mississippi, Texas, Illinois, Idaho, Utah, Washington, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, and, of course, Colorado. She walked away from almost every assignment with new friends and acquaintances.

Retirement was not all work for Christy, however. She and Dale travelled whenever they could, both internationally and domestically. Some of her most memorable trips included seeing dolphins on her birthday in Jamaica, visiting relatives in Greece, cruising the Galapagos Islands, and camping throughout the East and Northeast with Dale in their truck camper.

Retirement was also punctuated by the birth of her two cherished granddaughters, Helia and Greta. Becoming a grandma was one of Christy’s greatest joys and she excelled at the job. She showered Helia and Greta with delicious treats, surprise gifts, and pretty much anything their little hearts desired. She was a grandma who could not say no. It was a two-way street, though. Helia and Greta loved their grandma with all their hearts. They loved giving their grandma hugs, cuddling with her in her chair, and gifting her various artwork pieces. They also impishly loved making her squeal in fright by swinging extra high and jumping from furniture while inquiring, “does it scare you when I do this, grandma?”, to which she would always reply a resounding, “YES! Be careful!” They obviously relished in the security and protection she provided too.

Christy received her diagnosis of glioblastoma in October 2025. She fought valiantly and held out hope for a miraculous recovery until the very end because she had so much to live for, but God had different plans. She passed away May 17, 2026, while holding the hands of the people she loved, listening to their reassuring voices. She was preceded in death by her mother, Garnet Sophocles. She is survived by husband, Dale, daughter Jenna (Geoff) Harrison, son John (Megan), beloved granddaughters, Helia and Greta, her father, George Sophocles, brother Tim (Linda) Sophocles, nephews Mike (Liz) and Nick Sophocles, great niece, Luna, and great nephew, Amilios. She is also survived by many cherished aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

Christy will be deeply missed and forever held in our hearts with love.

A Trisagion will be held at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at the St. John's Greek Orthodox Church. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, May 27, 2026, also at the church. Burial will follow at the Craig Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made in Christine's memory to one of the following organizations: The Glioblastoma Foundation, or to the St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church.