Althea Beck

Althea Frances (Hill) Beck of Columbia, Connecticut passed peacefully into Divine Grace on September 20, 2005 after enjoying a life full of wonder and achievement that began in Willimantic, Connecticut on August 5, 1924 as the daughter of Charles W. and Hattie A. Hill. Althea graduated from Windham High in 1942. She next attended Duke University where she actively supported the call for racial equality and from which she graduated in 1946 with a Bachelors of Science in Chemistry. She became a research chemist at American Cyanamid Company, Stamford, Connecticut, Colgate University, Hamilton, New York and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. On September 11, 1948, she married Henry M. Beck of Columbia, Connecticut, who, after 57 happy years of marriage, survives her. This union was blessed with four children who survive her, Henry M. Beck, Jr. of Columbia, Connecticut, Curtis H. Beck of New Fairfield, Connecticut, Candace B. Tanner of Santa Cruz, California, and Randolph E. Beck of Atlanta, Georgia and four grandchildren, C. Aaron Beck of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Emily L. Beck of Burlington, Vermont, and Rebecca D. Tanner and Kelly S. Tanner both of Santa Cruz, California. She is also survived by her brother, Charles W. Hill, Jr. of Columbia, Connecticut. During her children s formative years, Althea was a Sunday School teacher, Sunday School organist, and Sunday School superintendent, and Member of the Board of Deacons at the Columbia Congregational Church, as well as a Cub Scout Den Mother, faithful sailboat crew, cheerleader, chauffer, and All American Wife and Mom. During this same time frame, she earned a Masters Plus 60 in education. She was an avid reader and student all her life. With her children in school, she first taught at the Columbia Cooperative Kindergarten and then became a 20-year member of the Math Department at Windham High School, Willimantic, Connecticut. While at Windham, she taught honors math classes, special ed math classes, and math for students for whom English was a second language. She also stimulated the establishment of the student Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society. She valued all her students as individuals and was always their advocate. She as a lifetime member of the NEA, a member of the American Association of University Women, a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International for professional women educators, a member of Phi Delta Kappa International for public school advocacy, and a member of the Anne Wood Elderkin Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. In her retirement years, Althea was a member of the Association of Retired Teachers of Connecticut (ARTC). She enjoyed traveling North America and Europe with her family. With her husband, she was an early traveler to the People s Republic of China after relations with that country allowed and later spent time traveling with him in New Zealand and Australia. Her rich life will be celebrated with calling hours at the Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson Street, Willimantic, Connecticut from 6 to 8 P.M. on Friday, September 23, 2005, and a funeral service at Columbia Congregational Church, Town Green, Columbia, Connecticut starting at noon on Saturday September 24, 2005 with grave-side service to follow at West Street Cemetery overlooking Columbia Lake. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, her friends consider making gifts to the Memorial Fund of the Columbia Congregational Church, P.O. Box 177, Columbia, Connecticut 06237 or a charity of their choosing. Please visit www.potterfh.com for directions and online memorial guestbook.