In Memory

Daniel Henry Beckman

Daniel Henry Beckman

Daniel Henry Beckman

2 Jun 1953 in Wichita, Kansas - 4 Dec 2018 in Waxahachie, Texas

Daniel H. Beckman, husband, father, noted rapscallion, and founder of the Butt Crack Construction Co. (TM) left this mortal coil on December 4, 2018. His spirit launched out of his worn-out body at the ripe young age of 65 after many years of being out numbered 3 to 1 by the women in his home. He and his loving wife celebrated 45 years of marriage just a few days before his death. Though this seems to be an exorbitant amount of time to be married to the same person, his wife, Joanne, reports that it was over too soon. Dan was a skilled designer and builder, having built his own home, a shed that was demolished by a tornado, a chicken coop, a large screened-in deck, a swimming pool, the floor in a yoga studio, a green house, his son-in-law's double storage building, a two-car-garage, and some oil refinery towers. Though, the two things that he built that are the toughest are his daughters who take no flack from anyone and can swing a hammer and use power tools, thanks to the above project list. Speaking of refinery towers: Dan's career as a design draftsman spanned over 40 years. Over which time he worked for Glitsch, Inc., Koch Industries, and Raschig USA. He is listed as an inventor by the United States Patent Office (No. 5,106,556) for the invention known as "Method of Downcomer-Tray Vapor Venting". In the prime of his career, his employers sent him to countries all over the world to train, install, make field adjustments, and share his wisdom and experience with others in the oil refining industry. In addition to being a skilled and enthusiastic builder of things, Dan was a championship-level Spades player with his wife and partner who claims to have cross-trumped, double-niled, and sandbagged their way to winning every game of Spades they ever played together. Though the years, Dan was an engaged and energetic Dallas Cowboy's fan. He would loudly and frequently beseech the offense to "matriculate the ball, boys!" The family decided they had no idea what he was talking about. Dan was notoriously short-tempered, cantankerous, and could cuss an impressive litany of four-letter words when the occasion called for it. To his wife's chagrin, these were not recessive traits and were summarily passed on to their progeny. Taking advice from no one, his dedication to his own stubbornness made everyone think he'd live forever just to return to cigarette smoking and Jack Daniels when he outlived us all and could do so in peace and quiet. Alas, he was preceded in death by his parents, Donna and Bert Beckman and leaves behind a sister, Carolyn, brother, Blaise, wife, Joanne, daughters, Julie and Karen, two fine sons-in-law, Greg and Charlie, and two outrageously brilliant granddaughters, Sara and Georgia. We will miss his surly demeanor, his big projects, and his drive to teach us how to do stuff and do it well. A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, December 8, 2018 at the Waxahachie Bible Church with Pastor Bruce Zimmerman officiating.