In loving memory of Scott Barton Beck,
October 19, 1948 — August 11, 1998.
Scott & Linda

Scott was a quiet man, he rarely complained, but if he did he had a good reason. He would do anything for anybody; he just liked to help people. He was the kind of guy who was full of ideas and plans, and his mind was always working on a new idea. He was a hard worker, always striving to be better. He was a proud man who would work at any job to take care of his family.

Scott was good-hearted and a family man. He accepted my three daughters into his heart and they will always love him for who he was, — a father they never had, until he came into their lives. He loved all his family more than he could ever express. He had a hard time talking about his feelings.

Scott was a proud man. He was very strong-willed and tough, — a real fighter. That is how he managed to fight his illnesses as long as he did. He had four long years of suffering with cancer; then renal failure, and all of the various illness that came from the treatments he had endured. When he became ill with cancer, he did his best to keep working, even if it meant doing odd jobs for people. It was important for him to keep busy. He worked hard to not let the cancer get in his way. There were days when he would be so sick he could hardly move, but he insisted on working anyway. He wouldn’t give in to it, till the very end.

I will always remember the night he came into my life. That lucky night that he later said was so hard for him He was really shy at first, because he thought I would say no. He asked me out and it was a “go” from that point on. That was our beginning.

I will always remember the night he left my life. We were on our way to the hospital and he told me he loved me and that he appreciated everything I had done for him. He asked me if I understood how tired he was, with everything he had to deal with. He was saying, “Good Bye” to me and I didn’t even realize it. Minutes later he was gone from us, even though it was another week before he took his last breath. I believe God came and took him the best way possible to end the suffering he was going through.

Scott’s illness brought the whole family closer together; realizing how important we really are to each other. Family is what gives us the strength to cope through our everyday life and Scott has helped us learn that lesson and touched us all in some way. He will be forever in the hearts and minds of each and everyone of us.

Scott was a wonderful husband, father, son, and brother. He was human too; he made us angry and brought us occasional tears, but what is more important is the love, the laughter, the kindness, and the lasting memories that he gave us all. That’s the kind of man he was.

Linda Beck
September 20, 2000

Editors’ note:
These are Linda’s words. When she sent them to me to be added to The Book, she added, “I hope its ok. It says a lot. Writing it was hard. I really miss him. I wish he were here… Sometimes I think I’m a strong person but sometimes I feel very weak without him.”