Dean H. Beckwith, 81, passed away on Monday, October 18, 2021in South Haven, Michigan. He was born on October 27, 1939 at South HavenCommunity Hospital to Esther and Merl Beckwith. Dean was a proud graduate fromSouth Haven High School. While in high school he played football, the saxophoneand was the drum major. He claimed he was the drum major because no one elsecould fit into the uniform.
Upon graduation from high school he married SuzanneNiffenegger and attended college at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio.Each summer they would return to South Haven where Dean would work as a milkmanfor Sherman's Dairy. Upon graduation, Dean received a Master's Degree inTheology.
Dean and Suzanne had three children; Dirk, Karen, andKimberly. In August 1965, they moved to Lake Orion, Michigan where he beganministry at King of Kings Lutheran Church. At the time, Dean accepted thechallenge of establishing a new congregation at King of Kings. In April of 1970they moved to Garden City, Michigan where he served the congregation of GoodHope Lutheran Church for 18 years.
He married Marjorie Green in 1985 and moved to Washington,Illinois where he became the minster at St. Mark's Lutheran Church. In 1998,Dean retired from St. Mark's they moved to Grand Junction, Michigan. Dean thenbecame an interim pastor where he served congregations in southwest andsoutheast Michigan. From 2002 to 2004Dean served as the Pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Allegan, Michigan.
On September 13, 2008 Dean married a lifetime friend andlove, Laura Digby. They lived in a house on Saddle Lake in Grand Junction. InAugust of 2020 they decided to move to a new home closer to South Haven. Dean and Laura enjoyed spending their timetraveling, performing in Reader's Theater, having family and friends to theirhome, helping community members who needed a helping hand, boating, and singingat the River Ridge Retirement Village.
Dean was a lifelong Democrat. He enjoyed serving many civicand charitable organizations and serving on the Board of Senior Services of VanBurn County. He had many hobbies collecting beer cans, collecting more than3,000 cans, all 50 state license plates, lawn ornaments, Avon bottles, electricinsulators and anything he could talk Laura into letting him buy from a garagesale. For as much as he enjoyed being aservant leader in the community his favorite place to be was at home withLaura. He loved to read and watch TV in his chair, watch the lake, plantflowers, feed the birds, and catch squirrels and chipmunks to rehome them.
As pastor, spouse, father and friend, Dean will be rememberedmost for his playful sense of humor, his openness to new ideas and his genuinelove for and acceptance of others. He was an advocate for those less fortunate andthe common man. Ministry was his calling. His sermons often included simpleobject lessons that made the gospel message memorable. He lived a lifetime ofservice to the Lord and to others.
Dean is survived by his wife Laura, sister, Mae Markstrom,his children Dirk (Barbara) Beckwith, Karen Rickerman, and Kimberly Beckwith(Eric Partridge); three step children, Tim Sakulich (Diane), Mark Sakulich (Joanne), andLaurie Sakulich; grandchildren Megan Calamita (Tim), Kellen Beckwith, AndrewRickerman , and Christian Beckwith, onegreat-granddaughter Alieya Calamita, seven step grandchildren, Katelyn,Jonathan, Michael, Emma, Lizzy, Nathan, and Josh; and one great step grandchildJosie Lehner.
Visitation will be held held on Friday, October 22, 2021 at FilbrandtFuneral Home in South Haven, Michigan. Service will be held on Saturday, October23, 2021 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Allegan, Michigan. Burial will be at alater date at the Columbus Township Cemetery in Grand Junction, Michigan.
Upon graduation from high school he married SuzanneNiffenegger and attended college at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio.Each summer they would return to South Haven where Dean would work as a milkmanfor Sherman's Dairy. Upon graduation, Dean received a Master's Degree inTheology.
Dean and Suzanne had three children; Dirk, Karen, andKimberly. In August 1965, they moved to Lake Orion, Michigan where he beganministry at King of Kings Lutheran Church. At the time, Dean accepted thechallenge of establishing a new congregation at King of Kings. In April of 1970they moved to Garden City, Michigan where he served the congregation of GoodHope Lutheran Church for 18 years.
He married Marjorie Green in 1985 and moved to Washington,Illinois where he became the minster at St. Mark's Lutheran Church. In 1998,Dean retired from St. Mark's they moved to Grand Junction, Michigan. Dean thenbecame an interim pastor where he served congregations in southwest andsoutheast Michigan. From 2002 to 2004Dean served as the Pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Allegan, Michigan.
On September 13, 2008 Dean married a lifetime friend andlove, Laura Digby. They lived in a house on Saddle Lake in Grand Junction. InAugust of 2020 they decided to move to a new home closer to South Haven. Dean and Laura enjoyed spending their timetraveling, performing in Reader's Theater, having family and friends to theirhome, helping community members who needed a helping hand, boating, and singingat the River Ridge Retirement Village.
Dean was a lifelong Democrat. He enjoyed serving many civicand charitable organizations and serving on the Board of Senior Services of VanBurn County. He had many hobbies collecting beer cans, collecting more than3,000 cans, all 50 state license plates, lawn ornaments, Avon bottles, electricinsulators and anything he could talk Laura into letting him buy from a garagesale. For as much as he enjoyed being aservant leader in the community his favorite place to be was at home withLaura. He loved to read and watch TV in his chair, watch the lake, plantflowers, feed the birds, and catch squirrels and chipmunks to rehome them.
As pastor, spouse, father and friend, Dean will be rememberedmost for his playful sense of humor, his openness to new ideas and his genuinelove for and acceptance of others. He was an advocate for those less fortunate andthe common man. Ministry was his calling. His sermons often included simpleobject lessons that made the gospel message memorable. He lived a lifetime ofservice to the Lord and to others.
Dean is survived by his wife Laura, sister, Mae Markstrom,his children Dirk (Barbara) Beckwith, Karen Rickerman, and Kimberly Beckwith(Eric Partridge); three step children, Tim Sakulich (Diane), Mark Sakulich (Joanne), andLaurie Sakulich; grandchildren Megan Calamita (Tim), Kellen Beckwith, AndrewRickerman , and Christian Beckwith, onegreat-granddaughter Alieya Calamita, seven step grandchildren, Katelyn,Jonathan, Michael, Emma, Lizzy, Nathan, and Josh; and one great step grandchildJosie Lehner.
Visitation will be held held on Friday, October 22, 2021 at FilbrandtFuneral Home in South Haven, Michigan. Service will be held on Saturday, October23, 2021 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Allegan, Michigan. Burial will be at alater date at the Columbus Township Cemetery in Grand Junction, Michigan.
Dean H. Beckwith, 81, passed away on Monday, October 18, 2021in South Haven, Michigan. He was born on October 27, 1939 at South HavenCommunity Hospital to Esther and Merl Beckwith. Dean was a proud graduate fromSouth Haven High School. While in high school he played football, the saxophoneand was the drum major. He claimed he was the drum major because no one elsecould fit into the uniform.
Upon graduation from high school he married SuzanneNiffenegger and attended college at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio.Each summer they would return to South Haven where Dean would work as a milkmanfor Sherman's Dairy. Upon graduation, Dean received a Master's Degree inTheology.
Dean and Suzanne had three children; Dirk, Karen, andKimberly. In August 1965, they moved to Lake Orion, Michigan where he beganministry at King of Kings Lutheran Church. At the time, Dean accepted thechallenge of establishing a new congregation at King of Kings. In April of 1970they moved to Garden City, Michigan where he served the congregation of GoodHope Lutheran Church for 18 years.
He married Marjorie Green in 1985 and moved to Washington,Illinois where he became the minster at St. Mark's Lutheran Church. In 1998,Dean retired from St. Mark's they moved to Grand Junction, Michigan. Dean thenbecame an interim pastor where he served congregations in southwest andsoutheast Michigan. From 2002 to 2004Dean served as the Pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Allegan, Michigan.
On September 13, 2008 Dean married a lifetime friend andlove, Laura Digby. They lived in a house on Saddle Lake in Grand Junction. InAugust of 2020 they decided to move to a new home closer to South Haven. Dean and Laura enjoyed spending their timetraveling, performing in Reader's Theater, having family and friends to theirhome, helping community members who needed a helping hand, boating, and singingat the River Ridge Retirement Village.
Dean was a lifelong Democrat. He enjoyed serving many civicand charitable organizations and serving on the Board of Senior Services of VanBurn County. He had many hobbies collecting beer cans, collecting more than3,000 cans, all 50 state license plates, lawn ornaments, Avon bottles, electricinsulators and anything he could talk Laura into letting him buy from a garagesale. For as much as he enjoyed being aservant leader in the community his favorite place to be was at home withLaura. He loved to read and watch TV in his chair, watch the lake, plantflowers, feed the birds, and catch squirrels and chipmunks to rehome them.
As pastor, spouse, father and friend, Dean will be rememberedmost for his playful sense of humor, his openness to new ideas and his genuinelove for and acceptance of others. He was an advocate for those less fortunate andthe common man. Ministry was his calling. His sermons often included simpleobject lessons that made the gospel message memorable. He lived a lifetime ofservice to the Lord and to others.
Dean is survived by his wife Laura, sister, Mae Markstrom,his children Dirk (Barbara) Beckwith, Karen Rickerman, and Kimberly Beckwith(Eric Partridge); three step children, Tim Sakulich (Diane), Mark Sakulich (Joanne), andLaurie Sakulich; grandchildren Megan Calamita (Tim), Kellen Beckwith, AndrewRickerman , and Christian Beckwith, onegreat-granddaughter Alieya Calamita, seven step grandchildren, Katelyn,Jonathan, Michael, Emma, Lizzy, Nathan, and Josh; and one great step grandchildJosie Lehner.
Visitation will be held held on Friday, October 22, 2021 at FilbrandtFuneral Home in South Haven, Michigan. Service will be held on Saturday, October23, 2021 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Allegan, Michigan. Burial will be at alater date at the Columbus Township Cemetery in Grand Junction, Michigan.
Upon graduation from high school he married SuzanneNiffenegger and attended college at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio.Each summer they would return to South Haven where Dean would work as a milkmanfor Sherman's Dairy. Upon graduation, Dean received a Master's Degree inTheology.
Dean and Suzanne had three children; Dirk, Karen, andKimberly. In August 1965, they moved to Lake Orion, Michigan where he beganministry at King of Kings Lutheran Church. At the time, Dean accepted thechallenge of establishing a new congregation at King of Kings. In April of 1970they moved to Garden City, Michigan where he served the congregation of GoodHope Lutheran Church for 18 years.
He married Marjorie Green in 1985 and moved to Washington,Illinois where he became the minster at St. Mark's Lutheran Church. In 1998,Dean retired from St. Mark's they moved to Grand Junction, Michigan. Dean thenbecame an interim pastor where he served congregations in southwest andsoutheast Michigan. From 2002 to 2004Dean served as the Pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Allegan, Michigan.
On September 13, 2008 Dean married a lifetime friend andlove, Laura Digby. They lived in a house on Saddle Lake in Grand Junction. InAugust of 2020 they decided to move to a new home closer to South Haven. Dean and Laura enjoyed spending their timetraveling, performing in Reader's Theater, having family and friends to theirhome, helping community members who needed a helping hand, boating, and singingat the River Ridge Retirement Village.
Dean was a lifelong Democrat. He enjoyed serving many civicand charitable organizations and serving on the Board of Senior Services of VanBurn County. He had many hobbies collecting beer cans, collecting more than3,000 cans, all 50 state license plates, lawn ornaments, Avon bottles, electricinsulators and anything he could talk Laura into letting him buy from a garagesale. For as much as he enjoyed being aservant leader in the community his favorite place to be was at home withLaura. He loved to read and watch TV in his chair, watch the lake, plantflowers, feed the birds, and catch squirrels and chipmunks to rehome them.
As pastor, spouse, father and friend, Dean will be rememberedmost for his playful sense of humor, his openness to new ideas and his genuinelove for and acceptance of others. He was an advocate for those less fortunate andthe common man. Ministry was his calling. His sermons often included simpleobject lessons that made the gospel message memorable. He lived a lifetime ofservice to the Lord and to others.
Dean is survived by his wife Laura, sister, Mae Markstrom,his children Dirk (Barbara) Beckwith, Karen Rickerman, and Kimberly Beckwith(Eric Partridge); three step children, Tim Sakulich (Diane), Mark Sakulich (Joanne), andLaurie Sakulich; grandchildren Megan Calamita (Tim), Kellen Beckwith, AndrewRickerman , and Christian Beckwith, onegreat-granddaughter Alieya Calamita, seven step grandchildren, Katelyn,Jonathan, Michael, Emma, Lizzy, Nathan, and Josh; and one great step grandchildJosie Lehner.
Visitation will be held held on Friday, October 22, 2021 at FilbrandtFuneral Home in South Haven, Michigan. Service will be held on Saturday, October23, 2021 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Allegan, Michigan. Burial will be at alater date at the Columbus Township Cemetery in Grand Junction, Michigan.
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