Barbara A. Beck

When Barbara A. Beck walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Barbara was and how she impacted those around her. Barbara was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Barbara wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Barbara was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.

She was the daughter of Mary Hammond. Barbara was raised in Augusta Georgia. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Barbara might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Barbara was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

Barbara was raised with 5 siblings. She had 3 brothers, predeceased by Richard, she is survived by Charles, David and 2 sisters, Brenda and Debbie. Barbara was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Barbara was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Barbara well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

On February 2, 1968 Barbara married Michael Lynn Beck at Southgate Baptist Church of Augusta Georgia. Barbara's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. She was quite sensitive towards Michael's needs, showing her constant concern and fondness. Barbara was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family.

Barbara was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Barbara, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Beck home. Barbara's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Barbara was blessed with 2 children: Amanda and Jonathan. They were also blessed with 3 grandchildren, Korrie, Justine and Tyler.

Barbara was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Resolution specialist and later Quality coordinator. She was employed for CVS for 9 years and prior to that was with JC Penny. Barbara was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize her. Barbara had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of her gift for insight. Barbara's fellow workers saw her as a supporter and a mentor.

Because Barbara loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were church activities, youth group VBS and crafts. Barbara had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Barbara's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Barbara was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member at Crestview Baptist for over 13 years. During that time, she was a Sunday school teacher and nursery coordinator. She was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and she used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for her beliefs.

Barbara's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Barbara took her vacations seriously, well, as seriously as she possibly could. Favorite vacations included she traveled to Spain with her husband, Paris with her daughter and frequent annual trips to Florida with her sisters.

When Barbara's retirement finally came in She retired in August of 2015, Barbara handled it the way she usually did. She adapted and, like everything in her life, made it satisfying. Because she was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Barbara to master. In retirement, she found new pleasure in sewing and spending time with family and friends. Even in retirement, Barbara continued to stay in touch with her old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

Barbara Beck passed away on March 18, 2018 at peacefully at home. Fought a long and brave battle against cancer. She is survived by her husband Michael, her children Amanda and Jonathan, her grandchildren Korrie, Justine, Tyler, her mother Mary, her sisters Brenda and Debbie and brothers David and Charles. Services were held at Colonial Funeral Home. Barbara was laid to rest in Ft Sam Houston National Cemetery.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Barbara. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Barbara Beck for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Barbara was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones.