Our beloved father, David Robert Beckerman, passed away on Thursday, December 13, 2018, at Prescott House Nursing Center in North Andover, MA, at the age of 82. He leaves behind his daughter, Seana Beckerman Willing, of Austin, TX; his son, Brian Beckerman and his wife, Patricia, of North Andover, MA; his son Daniel Beckerman, of Ballston Spa, NY; his grandson, Damon Beckerman, of Ballston Spa, NY; his grandson, Patrick Willing, of San Antonio, TX; and his granddaughter, Delaney Willing, of Austin, TX, as well as several nieces and nephews and extended family members. He was preceded in death by A. Michaele (Rogers) Beckerman, his loving wife of 62 years; his parents, Frank Beckerman and Hazel Sheppard Beckerman; his sisters Selma White and Ruthann Morris, and his brother Paul Beckerman.
David was born on February 18, 1936 in Lawrence, MA. He grew up, the oldest of four Beckerman siblings, in New Britain, CT, where he excelled in academics. He went on to graduate from Harvard University with a degree in Biology (PreMed) in 1957, and received his Masters in Chemical Engineering from MIT in 1960. While attending Harvard, David met Althea Michaele Rogers, a student at Mt. Ida College, in Newton, MA, on a blind date. The couple married on June 9, 1956. As newlyweds, the couple settled in Brookline, MA. In 1963, while living in Lexington, MA, the couple welcomed their first child, daughter Seana; in 1965, while living in Williamstown, MA, they welcomed son Brian, followed in 1967 by their third child, Dan.
David and Michaele moved to Andover, MA, in 1970, where they would live, work, and raise their three children, and their grandson Damon, for more than 45 years. David worked as an Executive at the W.R. Grace Corporation, in Waltham, MA, until his retirement in 1994. He went on to become the President and CEO of Polyfibron Technologies, Inc. and the Chairman and CEO of MacDermid Graphics Solutions, LLC. After he finally retired for real, David and Michaele spent their “empty nest” years traveling the globe, playing golf and bridge with friends, and raising their grandson, Damon. David was an avid reader, loved crossword puzzles and Sudoku, and enjoyed listening to Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. He also enjoyed cooking. When he was in charge of the kitchen, you could expect something really special - like potato pancakes, sausage lasagna, strawberry and ricotta crepes, or a chocolate torte - along with a mess! Mom usually had to wash the curtains after he was done. David was not an emotional man, but he once admitted that he found himself crying while watching the movie, “Field of Dreams,” right at that moment when Kevin Costner’s character, Ray Kinsella, met his father’s younger self in the field and asked if he’d like to play catch...
The Funeral Service will be celebrated in the Burke-Magliozzi Funeral Home, 390 North Main Street, Andover, MA, on Saturday, December 22, 2018, at 11:00 AM. All are most welcome to attend. Calling hours will be held in the funeral home, prior to the service, from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. Interment will be in the Spring Grove Cemetery in Andover, MA. For additional information, please visit, www.burkemagliozzi.com.