Victor Henry Beck

Victor Henry Beck was born to in Portland, OR to parents Abraham J. and Bessie M. (Oades) Beck on March 3, 1930. Victor had 3 siblings – a brother, Jack, and sisters, Stella and Shannon. When Victor was very young, his parents separated. He grew up with his father in Portland, OR then moving to The Dalles to attend high school for his freshman through junior years. He returned to Portland to attend Roosevelt High School for his senior year. Victor grew up among a family of outdoorspeople and it was in The Dalles that Victor developed his lifelong love for hunting and fishing. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1948.

Following graduation, he started his work at Steinfeld’s Products (a prominent Portland cannery known for their pickled goods) for a brief period and then was drafted into the US Army in 1950. His brother Jack entered the Marines. Victor entered into active duty at Fort Lewis, WA. He served during the Korean Conflict as a radio operator and installer for the US Army German occupation forces in Austria. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 1952 at Fort Lewis, WA.

Upon his return from military duty, Victor returned to work for Steinfeld’s. He worked as a truck driver for Steinfeld’s for 45 years. He met Constance M. Thonnes in 1947. They met at a high school football game. They were married in Portland at Holy Redeemer Church on January 10, 1952. Their first home together was in Portland’s St. Johns neighborhood. They were blessed with five children: Debora, David, Paul, Diane, and Annette. The children all grew up in St Johns and attended Assumption Catholic School. Connie did not work outside the home, keeping a home and raising five children was a full time job.

To recreate, the family went on road trips, camping, and sight-seeing adventures together to many special Oregon and Northern California destinations including Trees of Mystery in Klamath, CA, Crater Lake, and trips together to the beach. They looked forward to the annual trip to Kah Nee Ta high desert resort in Madras, OR. They did not look forward to the sunburns gotten on the first day out at the resort. Victor enjoyed hosting penny ante poker parties for friends and family to socialize, unwind, and laugh. They enjoyed each other’s company immensely and enjoyed just being together near family and friends and neighbors at their home. Victor’s son Dave lived in Astoria and the two would get together to hunt and fish.

Victor and family relocated to Scappoose, OR in the summer of 1971 to be near his mother who also had a love of the outdoors and especially loved riding her horses. At the same time Victor moved his father onto an adjacent home on the property to look after him. Their new home was an expansive ten-acre property that was at one time a lumber camp. At the end of the summer, son Dave went on to college to study forestry and later moved to Astoria where he was a forest manager who loved to hunt and fish.

It took him 20 years, but Victor rebuilt the entire house by hand by himself and in the end had made it a truly beautiful home to be admired. In Scappoose, Victor and Connie were devoted members of St. Wenceslaus Church.

Victor will be remembered as someone who loved being social; he truly enjoyed other people. As a delivery driver for Steinfeld’s, Victor was able to “be his own boss”, be on the move, and interact with people all day. Victor was truly a Jack-of-all-trades; carpentry, plumbing, electrical, remodeling, you name it, he could do it and do it well. Victor enjoyed the process of deconstructing, rebuilding, fixing, and finishing. It has been said that taking care of Connie was his number one priority. He was a doting, loving husband and companion to her. He was a supportive and loving father. He raised and took care of his kids and his greatest joy in was to see his children grow up and be happy, healthy, and successful.

Victor is predeceased by his parents Abraham and Bessie Beck and his son David Beck who passed away in 2010.

He is survived by his loving wife Connie; son Victor “Paul” Beck; daughters Debora Wold, Daine Crafton, and Annette Sells; 12 grandchildren; and 18 great grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held in Skyline Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, Clatskanie Room, 4101 NW Skyline Blvd., Portland, OR, on Saturday, September 3, 2016, at 12 noon. Visitation for the public will be held at 11:30am prior to the ceremony. Victor will be later laid to rest in Skyline Memorial Gardens Garden Mausoleum.

Remembrances may be made to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital or to the charitable organization of your choice.

Please visit Victor’s online memorial and online guestbook at www.skylinememorialgardens.com and enter a special memory or message. Thank you.

Arrangements under the direction of Skyline Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, Portland, OR.