John Edward Becker, Sr.

John Edward Becker, Sr., age 100, passed away on Thursday, June 25, 2026. He was born on April 14, 1926 in Elmira, NY, the son of Erma Becker (Dutcher) and Raymond A. Becker. He met his loving wife Beverly Ann Becker in 1946 and after a roller skating courtship, they were married in the Methodist Church on June 14, 1946 in Cranford, NJ. John and Beverly resided in the Washington, D.C. area for many years and retired to Jacksonville, FL where they shared many years together with family and friends and many years of volunteer service at the Mandarin United Methodist Church.

John was preceded in passing by his loving wife Beverly in January, 2017 after celebrating their 70th anniversary in June 2016. In 2024 he moved to Merritt Island, FL. He is survived by 3 children, Sharon Lee Coombes (Edward), John Edward Becker Jr. (Maria), and Sandra Lynn Matrangos (Michael). He was a loving grandfather to 11 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and 6 great-great-grandchildren. He is also survived by 1 sister, Virginia Beckett (Becker). He will be greatly missed by his extended family and friends.

At the age of 18, he joined the U.S. Navy Aviation Training Program during World War II. Postwar, he completed additional training and obtained his civilian private pilot license. He went on to obtain a law degree from American University in Washington, D.C. while working full-time as a draftsman for a patent law firm. He also had a passion for building which began when he helped his father renovate a pre-Revolution era farm house and led him to renovate many of the homes that he and his family shared.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Jude Children's Hospital, https://www.stjude.org/donate or Residing Hope, https://residinghope.org/donate/ . A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, July 15, at 10:30 the Mandarin United Methodist Church, 11270 San Jose Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32223. He will be laid to rest with military honors at the Jacksonville National Cemetery, Jacksonville, FL.