Elaine G Beck

Elaine was born in Whiting, Indiana to Benjamin Gordon and Esther Cohen Gordon on June 21st, 1921. The Gordon’s owned and operated H. Gordon and Sons Department store in downtown Gary, Indiana. She was the oldest of three sisters. She stayed close with Joan and Marle her entire life.

In 1942 she dropped out of the University of Michigan to marry the first of two loves of her life, Morrie Kaplan. They were married in Cheyenne, Wyoming on January 30th, 1942. Family legend says that Benjamin Gordon invited every Jewish person in the state of Wyoming to the wedding. During the war she was an army wife and followed Morrie from Wyoming to San Bernardino, Grass Valley, and Monterey, California.

After the war she and Morrie returned to Gary and built a home on Miller Beach. She lived on the water for the rest of her life. Her first son, Paul, was born on December 21st, 1946. Jimmy was born on April 3rd, 1952. She instilled in her sons a commitment to social justice and environmental stewardship.

She worked for Gordon’s in a variety of positions, including the Head of Cosmetics, and as a Buyer - she had impeccable taste. Morrie was President of the store.

In the 1960s Elaine was heavily involved in the burgeoning environmental movement. She was President of the Gary League of Women Voters and on the Indiana state board for the organization. During this time she was also a member of the American Lung Association, the Lake Michigan Federation, and was appointed to the Gary Air Pollution Board by Mayor Richard Hatcher.

Elaine returned to college at Indiana University - Northwest and Graduated Cum Laude in 1975. After receiving her degree she helped found the Environmental Resource Center at Purdue University’s northwest Indiana regional campus. She produced textbooks, public education programs and reports about water and air quality in the Great Lakes.

Her tireless advocacy for improved air and water quality in the Great Lakes region achieved meaningful results. In 1975 she received the Environmental Quality Award from the Environmental Protection Agency. She even got to meet President Carter during his administration.

In 1976 Morrie passed away. They were married 33 years.

In 1981 she married the second love of her life, Mark Beck. He moved into the house on Miller Beach. After retiring, she and Mark travelled extensively through Europe and Africa, spending months exploring new and exciting places. Mark and Elaine were married for 40 years, which is an incredibly long time for a second marriage at 61!

Elaine had three grandchildren, Benjamin, Joshua, and Jonathan. She loved taking them to the beach, swimming, the opera, and museums.

In 1997 Mark and Elaine moved to Longboat Key, Florida to be closer to her sisters and mother. She and Mark continued to travel well into their 80s. She remained politically engaged throughout her life, often calling her children and grandchildren to make sure they were reading The New Yorker and watching Rachel Maddow.

Elaine spent her final years at the Sarasota Bay Club, where she and Mark continued to have an active social life into their eleventh decades. She is survived by her two sons, and three grandsons.

A graveside service will be held on Friday, February 23, 2023 at 1 PM at Palms Memorial Park, Sarasota. Live Stream will be available using the following link: https://youtube.com/live/C2lddGyInaQfeature=share

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