Oscar “Papi” Beck, great family man, generous heart, and enthusiastic spirit, 95, of Milford, NH; formerly of Freeport, NY, passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 14, 2023, surrounded by his loving family. He was born November 23, 1928, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to parents Teodoro and Dolores (Lopez) Beck.
Oscar is survived by his wife of 58 years Cecilia Beck of Milford, NH; his sons Jeffrey Beck and his wife Melissa of Freeport, NY, Christopher Beck and his wife Brigidania of Huntington Station, NY; his daughter Leslie Beck Hinspeter of Amherst, NH; son-in-law Jay Hinspeter; his grandchildren Esmeralda, Christopher Jr., Matthew, Nicholas, Margo, Jaxon; his great grandson Lincoln; and his sister Elsa.
He is predeceased by his daughter Lisa Beck; his brother Hector, and sister Nelida.
Oscar’s deep faith and trust in God at an early age claimed his lifetime motto, “God Give Me Power, I Will Do the Rest.” At the age of 17, he embarked on a life at sea as a Merchant Marine crossing all the great oceans and visiting distant lands. He would forever have a love of the ocean, fishing, and sharing stories of his great adventures. In 1955, he arrived in New York Harbor to make Long Island his home. It was love at first sight when he met Cecilia, and they soon started a life together that would begin the Beck Legacy. With an entrepreneurial spirit Oscar and Cecilia started C. Beck Landscaping, which still operates today as Jeffrey’s Landscape Construction, Corp. Oscar cultivated beauty with his hands, as a landscape designer he built a firm foundation in the community creating softscapes to be enjoyed alongside the many ponds and waterfalls he crafted. His favorite flower was the tulip; the first to bloom in spring and signify perfect love. His strong work ethic and devotion to family gave him his deepest purpose and meaning in a life lived with vitality and confidence. He always offered support and encouragement to his family with a positive “can-do” attitude to live out your dreams. In 2008, Oscar and Cecilia retired to New Hampshire to live a quieter life, but New York never left his heart, as they would travel frequently maintaining the family bond beyond the miles.
All who knew Oscar adored him; his friendliness and radiant charisma infected all who met him. He always made time to connect with people and he made an impression everywhere he went - people always ask, “How’s Oscar!?” He was creative and active; enjoyed painting, singing, dancing, meditating with the Bible, traveling, swimming at the YMCA, and always enjoyed BBQing with his family. His strength of character and loving nature - always seeing beauty in the world with a childlike wonder of “WOW” and “So Beautiful!” - made him the pillar of our family. You could always count on Papi to greet you with his smile, tell a story, maybe sing a tango, or cook you a meal, and with his gracious humility he would always say “thank you” for spending time with him. He loved togetherness, his growing family of grandchildren and great grandchild being his pride and joy.
Thank you, Papi, thank you for sharing your virtues with us. Your beauty will forever live inside our hearts. Be at peace, we love you.
A funeral mass will be held on December 30, 2023 at 9:30 am at Our Holy Redeemer, 37 S Ocean Avenue, Freeport, New York.
